The Descent
by Her.Vanilla.Majesty
Summary: "Ganondorf has won long ago. Now you come and tell me that he," The princess gestures to the blue-eyed man, "is the one you have been searching for? Isn't it too late?" He grins bashfully at her doubt-filled words. "I've always fancied myself a Hero."
1. Prelude

A new story I've been working on for a couple of days. _Let's take a look at the layout now shall we?_

_**I. The first section of the chapter focuses on, obviously, Viela Dragmire. Last name sound familiar? I bet it does.**_

_**II. The second section is where the 'hero' of our story is introduced, along with some familiar characters from the beloved 'Ocarina of Time' game.**_

_**III. The longest first chapter I've ever made. But enjoy it nonetheless. **_

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**_Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise.

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_-Progenies- _

The Descent

**_I. Viela Dragmire_**

On the night of my 4th birthday, the house was lit in a honey warm glow of candlelight. The frosted cake, a cheap delicacy to aristocrats, greeted my wide eyes. Mother stood by me as she watched me blow out the candles in fascination.

I felt something akin to happiness settle on my heart. "Father." I called out. "Would you like to have some food as well?" Hope lodged in my mind. It was my birthday. Perhaps he would treat me with an answer. Or a simple glance my way.

I really should have known better.

Father grumbled in the corners, faded golden eyes stuck out the misty window. His red hair was uncombed and ragged as always, a bright contrast to his dark skin. My smile faltered, the happiness dissolved quickly. Nothing would change today. Nothing would ever change.

Mother whispered a greeting and cut me a slice. "Don't bother your Father, love. He's in a very bad mood today."

"He always is." I whispered back sadly.

It was not long after my first taste that a great rumbling shook the dusty ground. Father stood abruptly, his desert-tanned weak frame shaking from the effort.

Mother looked worried, her voice was a mere whisper. "What is happening?"

Father turned to us, fear alight in his gold eyes and he reached for the sword always by his side. With difficulty he plastered himself against the front wooden door. "They've found us…" he gasped in clear disbelief.

"No. They do not even know about her." Mother gripped my arm with such strength I whimpered. "Mama,"

The rumbling grew louder with each passing second and shouts echoed through the village. My parents froze and I glanced quickly between each of them, tears surfacing to my eyes. "What is-"

The first shriek ripped through the starry night, blood curling and gurgled with fright.

"Marin!" Father bellowed. "Run!"

Mother scooped me easily in her arms, sobs racking through her body. "Dear goddesses, please…" she whispered shakily as she ran down the steep hallway.

Panic seized my heart as she repeated the phrase like a holy litany. My hands grabbed her arms, already crying hysterically. Half out of fear, half out of confusion. What was going on?

"Shh," Mother rocked my gently as we approached our humble kitchen. "Marin!" Father yelled again, voice tight and pained. "The child…"

A banging knock could be heard on our door and Father leaned heavily against it. "You are not welcome!"

More terrible screams rocked through our desolate village and dark laughter mingled with it. Ashes and smoke clung to the windows, blurring the view of what possibly lay outside. I shrieked loudly, "Help!"

Mother shushed me as she hurriedly opened kitchen drawers, hands fumbling in worry. "Please, please, please…" she moaned to herself.

The wooden door finally gave in to the relentless pounding and Father stumbled forward as it fell. The intruder strode in, like an unwelcome storm. He was built largely of burnt muscles and a brutal face, jade eyes gleaming with a knowing. His lips were curled into a sneer as he found Father against a wall, heaving to catch his breath.

"Old man," he spat with immense disrespect. One that would have made the elders shake their head in disgust. "Where is the child?"

"I will never tell you…" Father replied, voice weak and raspy. The intruder tilted his chin. "How dare you defy the King of Gerudos, Old Man?" Smugness glittered perfectly in his eyes.

"King?" Father croaked and he seemed to be chuckling as he lifted his face up. "You are no King, Damien."

The intruder's pupils diluted in plain shock and his mouth opened slightly. "_You… _What are you doing here?"

Father smiled crookedly. "I live here. I believe it is I who should be asking you that."

I perched my head in Mother's shoulder as I watched them converse in distress with my mouth shut tight.

The intruder snarled and unsheathed a wicked curving blade which gleamed a bloody warning. "You know why I'm here, Old Man. Where is he? Where are you hiding the child?"

"Why do you need the child?" Father asked with strained innocence.

"You're a joke Old Man. You cannot stand in the way of what is rightfully mine. Now where is he?"

"Old Man?" Father chuckled darkly. The intruder gritted his teeth, rolling his blade in his hands as he eyed Father down.

"Do you not remember my name?" Father asked. "Could you forget me that easily, Damien?"

"Oh, I remember you," the intruder yelled as they clashed blades. I gasped and Mother pulled back from the kitchen table, a silver key tinkling in her delicate hands.

She ran to a well hidden door behind a cabinet which she roughly shoved aside. Her fingers hastily worked at the lock, but not they could not stop moving frantically.

The man bellowed a deep laugh as he knocked Father's sword aside with a quick powerful swipe. The blade clattered to the ground and I whimpered softly.

He pressed the tip of his sword against Father's throat, grinning triumphantly.

"_Ganondorf. Ganondorf Dragmire_"

I winced slightly. I was not used to hearing Father's name out loud. It was not something my family took great pride in. I never knew why.

Father gulped and the man continued with a taunting sneer.

"Look at what you've become. Pathetic old fool."

"It doesn't belong to you, Damien. You cannot change destiny's course."

"Tell me where you hide your demonic spawn or I shall slit your throat."

I almost cried aloud to him. To spare Father and take me instead. But something prevented me, a cold chill settled on my heart and I could not utter a word. I did not want to.

I did not want to die in place of my Father. No matter how gruesome it would be.

"Kill me. That won't change anything. The gods' will shall carry on still." Father's voice wavered as the tip pressed more against his flesh.

Anger melted in the attacker's eyes and he chuckled. "The gods? Since when did you care for the gods?"

A growl uttered from his throat. "You are braver now, Ganondorf, I admit. But obviously, you do not hold the Triforce of Courage."

Fury passed in Father's ruby eyes and he clenched his teeth together. "He is-"

"The better man, Ganon! Every realm, every age, every reincarnation and fight you lost to _him_. And now, _now_ you decide to change? _Ha_! You will be forever damned, Ganon. Nothing will change_. Nothing_."

Father growled at him and the intruder grinned. "Perhaps the Hero shall not get the glory of killing you. Perhaps…I will."

I tore my eyes away as the sound. Blade ripping through flesh, a loud gasp of air, a desperate yell for anyone, anything.

"MARIN!"

Mama shoved open the door with her shoulder and stooped down to reach a handle on the floor. She lifted with a grunt and a small section went up, revealing a snug hole. Mama wrenched me from herself and set me down in it. I shivered at the touch of cold soil. I reached for her and whimpered. "Mama?"

"Mother loves you," Mama sniffled. "Don't worry, Mama will come back sweet child."

She snapped the silver handle off and I yelled as the floor collapsed down to cover me in complete darkness. I shivered as footfall pounded above me.

The intruder's voice came and I heard the dull thud of Father's body dropping to the ground. "Well, well, well." Damien's voice sliced through me, like ice. "Look at what we have here."

Mama's voice came. Pure, righteous, but terrified. "You…you are not welcome here, Damien."

Bone-chilling laughter. I wept for Mama.

_Not Mama…not Mama…_ Anyone_ but Mama._

"Oh, Marin. Sweet Marin, I don't think you're in any position to defy me right now."

"What do you want?" My mother snarled.

"I want the child of Dragmire. I want him now. I suppose the old fogey's got you warmed up to him, eh?"

"You will not take my child. Not while I am still alive."

Laugher. That _laugh_ again.

"You…" He chuckled mockingly. "You…you married him? You had a child?" He bellowed in a amusement. "My, how _desperate_ you've gotten over time, Marin. First, you pined after that do-gooder Hero for _years_, no matter how hopeless it seemed. And then, he just got up and sailed away from your life forever and you were a complete mess of a woman."

"I…" Mama's voice faltered.

"He did not love you, did he? Perhaps once, but only because you looked so much like _her._ But I guess that wasn't enough now was it? He wanted the real thing, not some _worthless_ replica."

"You will not get away with this."

"Oh, I assure you, I will. The Gerudos have no lingering respect for your _husband."_

"_You are no better. The Hero is twice the man you could ever hope to be." _Mama's voice grew chilly and biting, oozing with years of regret, angush, and weariness. It was too much. All of it. And she was starting to vent it out at the wrong time.

A slap. A hard, commanding, painful slap.

Mama gasped. The man's blade made a sick whooshing noise. "So I was the last choice, Marin?" He spat at the ground. "You _fool!" _His voice was loud but dangerously calm. "Maybe once I had loved you Marin. And perhaps you were too enamored with that _Hero_ to spare me a glance. But marrying that poor excuse of a man? Marrying _Ganondorf?_ That's about as low as you can get."

Mama whimpered, unable to form an answer, most likely. I wanted to yell and burst out. To defend my mother…

…But I just _couldn't._

"I wonder now. What would your precious Hero say…when I tell him of your marriage to that scumbag? He'd forsake you, banish you from his thoughts. I'd wager he's long forgotten you. I'd even wager he's dead"

Mama choked on a sob. I shuddered. What 'Hero' did they speak of?

Did Mama love him before Papa?

"Oh that's right, Marin. This wouldn't have hurt if you had listened to me. But you've never even glanced my way. Not once. And you could have come running to me, _darling_. But…you didn't."

A sickening sound ripped through my ears again. I cried out in the suffocating darkness. _Mama!_

His sword had gone straight through her. Though, I could tell, his words left her far more speechless.

He still loved Mama.

But he had to kill her, just to guarantee that she would not fall back to another's arms once more.

He_ killed_ Mama.

"Goodbye, dearest." His last words were tipped with hate and longing.

Mama's body fell to the ground, an unholy sound, one that made my heart wrench and my eyes sting. She uttered out my name weakly. "…Velia."

I coughed and banged a fist against the hard dirt enclosed around me. "No! Mama!"

Then her _final_ words. A name. Not mine. She had said it so desperately, lovingly, like a sacred prayer she'd locked away in her heart long ago. A name she had said so faintly but with such golden emotion, I could hear it echo in my ears.

"…_Link."_

Then Mama died.

The back of my hand glowed, the strange birthmark spurred to life at her words. The triangles shimmered, sending a burning sensation through me, flooding over the pain. They chanted it over in my head, like a musical litany.

"…_Link…Link….Link…."_

_..._

The sleep tumbled over me. I staggered and tried hard to stay awake. My eyelids drooped, suddenly heavy, and I fell back on clumps of soil.

It did not make sense. Any of it. Why would Mama die? She, of all people, was golden and pure. Why would the Goddesses take her away and not me?

And who was Link? Was he an ally of Damien? And who was the Hero that Father apparently hated so much?

Then I heard a whisper in my head, calm, soothing, yet burning with a powerful warmth. _Sleep Viela…sleep._

_Tommorrow the sun shall rise again, and surely the day after that as well. And when the moon hangs high, and at the cricket's sigh, the Hero shall come again._

_So put those dreams back to bed, lay back and watch the stars. For the dawning of a new Bearer is at hand, and at the Last Winter's arrival, my child, you will rise._

The Lady's voice was welcoming and righteous. I obeyed in fright of making her sad.

…_And at the Last Winter's arrival, my child, you will rise._

_

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_**II. The Descendant**_

Days breezed by, years passed, a century went, a _millennium…_

Impa, the same sagely Shadow mistress of Kakariko Towne knew it was time. Rauru patted her stallion fondly and gazed out onto the horizon with a calm expression.

"And so the day has finally come." He murmured silently. A gentle breeze swayed the priestly garb he wore and his kind blue eyes hardened. "I never imagined it would be so…"

"Peaceful?" Impa asked, her tone clear of any accent, clipped and precise. "That is because the sun is still upon us. We cannot go against the prophecy's words."

"And so we wait?"

She nodded. "We cannot disturb the child's sleep."

"I doubt he is a child still. Perhaps by now an old man, eh?" Rauru attempted to lighten the mood with a crooked smile. Impa shook her head. "The boy is Ganondorf's son. I doubt he will prove to be an ally of the Resistance."

"Oh, really Impa, don't be such a pessimist. Ganondorf has learned his lesson."

Impa's smirk was cold and stony. "I believe Damien did us a favor by killing him. The man was a demon. No amount of repentance is enough to rid his name of the blood and lust."

"You know Ganondorf only did this because he loved her."

"Loving _Nabooru_ is a lost cause."

"How dense are you, my dear sage? He loved Ze-"

"Don't!" Impa growled, her voice bordering on plain murderous. Her dark eyes flashed with annoyance and hatred. Rauru winced. Clearly, Impa was against any idea that Ganon withheld even the tiniest amount of adoration towards the Princess. And speaking of which…

"How is she?" Rauru asked.

"Safe…at the Sky City Palace."

Rauru's brow shot up. "You're a high roller, Impa."

"Shut up. At least she'll be safe."

"No doubts here, just checking. And the King? Queen?"

"Well if you're talking about Zelda's mom she's pushing up daisies."

"I thought she was dead." Rauru frowned, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

Impa rolled her eyes. "It's an idiom."

"Oh." Rauru grinned.

"But the King is well and snoring, as usual. He absolutely adores the Sky City Traditions and the ooccos." Impa smiled slightly. "The Princess doesn't get out as much. I'm hoping that will change in time."

"Hm. Yes." Rauru mumbled. He turned as a flock of chipper blue birds flew overhead. "Well, we should head out to the pub. That's where Rinku scheduled to meet us."

_..._

_Brookel_

The Twin Fletcher's Pub was not a place Impa preferred to associate with. After leaving the rubble of the ghost town village, they had set off into the southern towns. One they referred to as Brookel.

Brookel was practically lined with pubs. Impa scrunched her nose as her horse trotted on the desolate streets, the sand blowing in her lashes. "Which one?"

And of course Rauru just _had_ to pick the shabbiest, sorry building Impa had ever laid eyes on. "That boy…" Impa growled.

"Needs to keep a low profile, so you can imagine." Rauru smirked. Impa simmered with bottled irritation. He was enjoying this.

Curse him.

She dismounted her ebony stallion with ease and ran a hand through her clothes, smoothing folds and adjusting pins. Authority radiated off her with a blinding glow.

"Oh for heaven's sake…" Rauru grumbled, staring at her with mild frustration as they pushed past the broken swinging doors and was met with utter silence.

The bar was empty. Save for a few customers here and there. Yet as Impa scanned the room: she knew immediately who she was looking for. A hooded man sitting tall on a revolving chair, staring at a full, untouched cup of rum. Impa's brow quirked upward.

He still didn't drink. That part of Rinku was still the same.

She strode over, her eyes hardening. But this was not the same Hero she had seen last. This was his descendant. The Chosen. And that was all that mattered.

"Rinku."

A barmaid appeared on the counter, eyeing the man with a wary look. Her lips pursed as her roving green eyes scanned him back and forth. She squinted as she tried to make out his face in the shade of the hood. "Hm."

His head tipped up, a gesture of acknowledgement. The barmaid tapped a finger on the counter. "That you, right?"

"Yes." He replied softly, Impa could hardly hear.

"Well." The barmaid tossed her ruby tresses back, eyes flashing with an approval. Impa stopped, holding back a smile. This would get interesting.

"You certainly look like what Fletcher said. Tall, fit…" She leaned in with a bat of her eyes and a smile on her lips. "…Handsome."

"What does she need?" The man asked. "Don't play coy, Rinku." The barmaid rested her chin on a hand, grinning. "You know what. In exchange for your little…ah, _excursion_ to this godforsaken town going unnoticed by the general public, you have to repay our most gracious hostess. It is only fitting, eh?"

Rinku nodded noticeably. "I'll have a talk with her about this."

"You better, boy. Madam Fletcher ain't exactly a giving lady. If there's one thing she loves in this world it's money. And men _with_ money."

"Give her this letter will you then?" Rinku tossed a crumpled parchment to her. The barmaid caught it swiftly and opened it, eyes darting back and forth down the scribbles. They widened. She made a choking sound. Without another word, she spun on her heels and hurried away, towards a locked steel door against the back of the shelves.

Impa cleared her throat out loud. "Rinku."

He stiffened, hands curling around the rum immediately. Impa walked closer. "You're Sir Rinku, I presume?"

The man turned on his chair, dropping his hood with a flick of the wrist.

Unruly golden hair fell over angled features and lightly sun-kissed skin. A pair of strikingly deep azure eyes flecked with a startling golden ring bore into her and the same silent smile came to his lips. "That's me." Same voice. Deep and calm. He held out a gloved hand, eyes suddenly twinkling with familiarity. "But please, call me Link."

"Link, m'boy!" Rauru cried, enveloping the young man into a hug. "Ah! Look at you! You've grown."

"Seventeen." Link nodded, patting the old man on the back. Impa frowned. All business with the barmaid and now he's just holding a friendly smile around with Rauru? Was she missing something? "Thanks, Ru."

"I assume you know why we're here." Impa nodded curtly to him.

He stared at her, blinking. The playfulness in his eyes remained. "Of course. Resistance business. I specialize in that."

"Specialize…" Rauru scoffed, "You're a hero to the people!"

"Aw shucks." Link grinned winningly.

"Impa, this young man is a _hero_. You ought to talk to him like one!" Rauru raised a brow at her. Impa's hands curled to fists as she stared at Link.

Unbelievable. She hadn't seen him for decades, for _lifetimes._ And he still looked the same. Nothing about his face had changed. _Nothing._

Except he wasn't the _same_ Link, wasn't the same Hero of Time that she'd met. No _that_ Link had gone, he was sent back, he was not returning.

And immediately a flood of memories seized her. The great famine that wringed Hyrule dry of it's lush green and strong rivers, the drought that plagued the land, the will of their beloved Queen -who had gone through such great lengths to try and keep her people safe- break. And the useless dream that everyone had clung to relentlessly. A dream that a Hero, who was long gone, would return.

And then the flooding. The horrible, untimely flooding that had ultimately destroyed the kingdom.

"_We must prepare immediately! Ready the troops, send out an alarm, we must escape! Maybe…maybe if we can leave tonight, we can make it. We can run away. You will be safe, Princess." Impa paced back and forth, the guards' stony eyes followed her, faces grim as they awaited the response of their ruler._

_Zelda sat, looking defeated in her imperial throne. Her golden hair was a curtain of silk around her weary face. She smiled tiredly, an unbearable sadness lurking in her wise gaze. The courtiers flinched upon seeing it._

"_It is no use, Impa." Her voice was void of any hope, it was dry of faith and emotion. Zelda had always sounded like this ever since. "We cannot run. We are not safe anywhere. _I_ will not be safe anywhere. The only time I have ever been safe was when I still had L-" She stopped, eyes frightened, and put a gloved hand over her mouth._

_The courtiers glanced down as anxiousness swept over the room. She had almost said his name. They had never heard her say his name. Not for years. They wondered often how his name would sound like, rolling off her tongue…_

_Would it be angry and regretful? Would it be gentle and longing? Would it be tired and broken?_

_Impa steeled her tone. She had to take charge. Zelda was not capable at the moment. "What can we do now? Surely, you must think of the good of your people."_

__

Zelda's eyes flickered over hers, blank and cold. "I put our fates in the hands of the Goddesses, as we all should. If this is their will, so be it."

_The answer caused the courtiers to hush suddenly, the guards stiffened in their posts._

_"And if this isn't their will?" Impa asked._

_Zelda blinked but was not fazed in the least. "Then they would have sent him. They would have made him return."_

_The words were a blow to everyone. An empty pang of horror seeped into their hearts. It was true…_

_The Princess stood suddenly. "Take me to the shrine. The flooding will almost begin."_

…

"Impa? Impa!" Rauru snapped. The sage shook her head from the trance.

"Honestly." Rauru shook his head. "You zone out at the worst possible time."

A scowl wove it's way into her features. She stared at Link with hard eyes and said with controlled indifference, "Have you brought along all your necessities?"

Link shook his head, smile careless. "I assumed, since you're all such generously rich folk, that you'd provide for me."

Rauru burst out laughing. Impa was not amused, she scoffed. "What makes you think the Royal Family would do that?"

"Because," Link stated simply, enunciating every word, "They. _Need_. Me."

"Don't get cocky, boy." Impa hissed, a surge of irritation and anger pulsing in her words. She already hated the former Hero. His descendant was not doing a good job of changing her views.

"So," Link began cheerily, set on ignoring Impa's disdain, "how do we get to the Green Valley?"

Green Valley. Resistance code for safety house. Which -in this case- was Sky City.

"Oh." A dark smile flitted on Impa's face. "Don't worry about that."

_..._

_Relinquo Lacus_

"Ey! Rauru is that you? And _Impa?_ Well, I'll be. It's been a long time!" The voice was high-pitched and scratchy. Link winced, turning away from the scenic view of the Forsaken Lake.

A short, pudgy man appeared from a reasonably-sized cot. Dried make-up coated over his eye, his crusted lips were an unflattering shade of dark purple. He wore an open pink vest with loose trousers and a hat sitting crookedly on his bald head.

Link glanced to his right and saw a small smile on Impa's face. That was surprising. This fellow didn't strike him as one of Impa's friends. She was too… what was the word? Uptight. Arrogant. Both would do.

"Too long, Fyer. How is Fabi?" Rauru asked.

"The same." The short man, Fyer, grumbled. "Always buying, never saving. I don't know why I put up with him." Fyer's eyes came to Link and widened considerably. "And who is this fine young man?"

Link shifted uneasily on the spot. He didn't like Fyer, he decided. He didn't like the crazy gleam in his eyes and the oddness he flaunted.

"Not important." Impa cut in. No one was to know of Link and what his purpose to the Resistance was. The whole topic was kept strictly hushity-hush-hush. "Can we get the super-size, special capsule?"

Link almost burst out laughing. It sounded like Impa was ordering a child's toy instead of a vehicle.

"Super-size? Special?" Curiosity came to Fyer's eyes. "Sounds like you're carrying precious cargo, Miss Impa. Who_ is_ the boy, hm? Who_ are_ you laddie? Why don't ya tell your ol' Uncle Fyer about yourself?" He grinned crookedly, looking particularly insane.

Link glared at him in annoyance. He was wasting time. "If that was any of your business…" He growled threateningly.

"Fyer." Rauru interrupted, shooting Link a silencing glance, "Please. You of all people should know about the customer's own private rights."

Fyer's form seemed to slump, though Link couldn't tell for sure. Impa was tapping her foot impatiently on the wooden dock.

"I just don't understand," Fyer said, "why I can't be one of _you._"

"Take it up to the Phoenix League. They always have their reasons, though. You are needed _here_ Fyer."

"I can't stay in the Downworld forever! And besides, you _are_ the Phoenix League." Fyer grumbled.

Link's head spun. Phoenix League? That sounded fancy. And what was the Downworld? Hell?

"Not at the moment." Rauru said. "Right now we are regular customers purchasing-"

"-My most expensive flight transporter. I get it." A sarcastic smile came to Fyer's features. He came to a strange looking contraption with rusty gears and buttons flashing rapidly. "Get in." He gestured to the cot. "First door on your right."

Impa went ahead, tossing Fyer a silver rupee along the way. Link blinked. 200 rupees? How was anything this man was selling worth 200 rupees?

"Come along." She snapped at Link who followed dutifully. Rauru glided in after them, looking strangely amused. "This is his first time flying." He whispered to Fyer, unaware of Link's precise hearing.

_Flying?_

"Really now?" Fyer whispered back. "I'll go easy on the launch then."

"Might nice of you." Rauru smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief.

Link frowned, but entered the cot. A long hallway with a dead end greeted him, mismatched doors lining the walls that were frighteningly close to each other. It was a good thing he wasn't claustraphobic.

The assigned door had been opened and inside was a neat row of red, cushioned seats with a black strap to keep the rider sitting down. Two long windows were on each side, stainless and clear. Sturdy marble tables were nailed down on each corner. Rauru came in, an imptressed look on his face. "Well Fabi didn't spare any expenses on this now did he?"

"I can imagine not." Impa smirked at a gold-framed, crudely painted portrait of a skinny, long-limbed man with Fyer's make-up and a yellow-toothed smile. His head was long and bony with a broken side-ways nose. Not what ladies would typoically swoon over, in a nutshell.

"Is that Fadi?" Link asked.

"Fabi." Rauru corrected.

"Well, who is he?"

Rauru answered simply. "Fyer's twin. Long lost twin."

"Of course," Impa muttered.

Link seated himself in the center, chin tipped up. "So what do we do now? Sip tea?"

Rauru chuckled, strapping himself in quickly. "Far from it, boy."

Impa sat in the farthest right, glaring distastefully at the décor. Link noticed with no small amusement. "It's all wrong isn't it? Mixing crème walls with such audaciously bold window drapes? The very sight gives me a chill." He called out to the sage.

Impa sent a death glare his way before huffing and turning away. Link smiled in satisfaction, relaxing in his seat.

Then, a great whir sounded beneath them, the floorboards shook and creaked. The portrait swayed. Link frowned, "Wha-"

The room jolted up then swung in a violent circle. Link's eyes shot up wide. "What the-"

A rumbling boomed from all sides, smoke seeped in. He coughed and wiped it away. Then a deafening _BAM!_ shattered his eardrums and the whole room rocketed skywards, white clouds zoomed past them through the windows.

Air rushed through the room with unbelievable force, slipping through locks of his hair none too gently. He felt the skin of his face peeling back at the sheer power of the winds that blasted them to what he was sure was oblivion. "Have you gone completely suicidal!" He yelled over the roar around them. Rauru only chuckled, even Impa cracked a smile.

_We're going to die, we're going to die, we're going to __**die.**_ Link breathed in, sucking as much air as he could to let out the loudest scream he could muster. "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

...

_Regius Cubiculum_

The Princess cast a look of curiosity out the gaping windows of her chamber. The courtyard roses had bloomed fully, their blood red petals looked soft to the brim, even from her high tower. The gardeners tended dutifully to the pristine lawn and Zelda could spot the feathered ooccos hobbling down the street to her castle, offerings held in their tiny yellow beaks.

The people's routines had become predictable by now. She knew the gray-haired old lady who lived on the streets nearby bought a flower everday from the market because she'd forget to water some in her own garden and they'd simply wither away. She knew the caramel-haired young girl who lived on the streets across had a fiancé who left her on her wedding day because he had decided to commit to a life of war and signed up for the Downworld Resistance Military. And she knew that the young homeless boy, who slept on the streets everyday, once had a father who had destroyed their life with obsessive gambling and died because of the prices of his unpaid debts, and she knew that he slept with hunger and misery each night, and she knew that she _couldn't_ help him.

The though tore her heart open, she wrenched her eyes away from the window. She envied her people's freedom as much as they envied her luxurious solitude. Sighing, she sat herself down on her bed, glaring at the clean mirror before her.

The crown on her head looked out of place with the weariness in her eyes and the slump of her posture. This was not the picture of royalty. Not at all.

Riley, her only friend in the castle, a humble servant boy, knocked on her door. She knew it was Riley with the way the knock itself sounded. Shy, but strangely assertive.

"I'm coming." The Princess hauled herself to her feet, squared her shoulders, and walked to the door, opening it swiftly. "Yes, Riley?"

Her friend blinked. "How did you know it was me?"

"Do you really have to ask?" She smiled knowingly.

Riley clucked his tongue. "Zelda, you are far too wise for your own good."

"I know that. Why are you here?"

"Impa is returning."

A light came to Zelda's eyes at the moment. "Impa is coming? Today?"

"Yes." Riley nodded. The brown of his eyes had darkened. "And she's brought a guest. An outsider."

Zelda's smile slipped at the words.

Gravity had caught up with their flying capsule. Impa felt unbearably sick as they lurched down, the straps held them and kept their bodies in place. Her stomach however, had taken a dive and twisted at the jerking movements of the room.

Link looked strangely at ease with the rumbling, the falling, and the shaking.

Somewhere along the way, his voice had gone out and he had been forced to calm down. Rauru's face had taken a sickly green hue.

"Please tell me we're not going to die." Link said softly.

"I wish I could." Rauru said in solemn reply.

A bang came beneath them, the sound of cement crashing with the metal foundation of their transporter. They skidded and swerved uncontrollably. Impa shut her eyes tight.

Then they came to a screeching halt and the transporter fell heavily on its side. They pitched to the right automatically.

"I'm going to be sick!" Link said as he ripped the strap off and landed on the unforgiving ground beneath him. The cement road had been sprinkled with broken glass shards and jagged pieces of metal and wood. Fabi's portrait lay on the ground and was currently split in two.

Rauru yanked the strap off and tumbled to the ground ungracefully, rolling to his side with his face wrenched in anguish. Impa took away her own seatbelt, as she preferred to call it, and jumped down on her toes, straightening the wrinkles of her clothes. "Get up. We need to go to the castle."

"Can we take a pit stop to the bathroom? My hair, as unbelievably amazing as it may seem to you, is looking rather messy at the moment to me." Link said, running a hand through the tousled golden locks.

"It's always looked like that." Impa snapped.

"You mean amazing? I know."

"Can you be serious? For one moment?"

"That's a tall order. Though I shall still valiantly try to the best of my abilities." Link nodded.

"Go on without me," Rauru rasped from his curled up position on the ground. "If I stand now, the contents of my delicious lunch shall be on the floor. And they won't look so delicious when they're out."

Link cringed.

Impa reached into the pouch strapped into her belt and pulled out a silver ring. She placed it firmly on her thumb, the edges glinted sharply at the sunlight.

"What's that?" Link asked.

"A symbol." Impa replied. "It is the sign of an Insider."

"Insider?"

"A person of the Upworld. I have to wear it because I've been on the Outside for a while."

Link shook his head in confusion. "Wait, what?"

Impa sighed in annoyance. "An Insider is a person who resides on the Upworld meaning _here,_ in Sky City. An Outsider is a person of the Donworld, meaning _down there, _in what was once Hyrule."

"So, I'm an Outsider?" Link asked, looking mildly offended.

"No." Impa's voice had hardened. How the Upworlders had changed over time. They had grown weak and frightened of anyone who was different than them. They had grown judgmental and cold. She couldn't let Link be blamed for being a soldier of the Downworld. He didn't deserve their petty criticism for his valiant services. He was a _Hylian_. He had every right to be here. He had every right to be looked upon as a _Hero_, not sent back to a shunned life like before. Her heart shriveled at that thought. " Well, in this case _partly_ yes you are. But you are also a Hylian. You have more right than anyone to be here. And don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

Link threw her a sarcastic look. "Thanks, Mom."

She hated him. But she couldn't bear the thought of others hurting him. The Zelda of her own time would never forgive her. _Never._

"We're leaving Rauru." Link called back to the sage who rolled over, moaning about his killer back pains. Link rolled his eyes and followed her to the roads leading to civilization.

He let his eyes wander over the scene. They were at the sky.

_The sky._ Gigantinc fans were stationed at the corners of the floating islands all round him, one was at the bottom, keeping land elevated and steady. The road was made of marble tiles and a large white wall stood before them, a tiny bronze door at the center, beckoning them forward.

Impa noticed Link's open-mouthed awe with no small amusement.

"Welcome, Link, to Sky City."

* * *

Hm, that was all a mouthful. Yeesh.

Review if the story is worth continuing.

...Just review, okay? :D

-HVM


	2. Beginning

Second update, obviously. The Italic Bold words are written in Latin, in case you were wondering.

Recurring languages will be here. French will probably come next, only cause I'm taking classes on it. :P

But, hey, read and review, you know?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise.

* * *

_-Progenies- _

The Descent

**_III. Reuniting Legends_**

…

**_Divum Palace_**

The King had ordered Zelda to don her finest gowns for the arrival of their 'special guest'. Apparently, Outsider or not, her father would throw a grand party to welcome the visitor.

"You'll like him Zelda." Her father said. "He will save us all." A proud light came to his eyes, a genuine grin breaking through his face. "He will save us _all._"

"Save us from what?"

The grin disappeared, sadness overtook her father's features. "Save us from what has happened before. He will bring us back home."

..

"I don't understand, Riley." Zelda grumbled as she smoothed down the silk ruffles of her dark red-violet gown. "Father has never approved of Outsiders in the palace. How is this one so special?"

Riley shrugged his broad shoulders, she could see the tension in his posture though. "Hey, at least you look pretty."

Zelda scoffed, facing the mirror again. "Right."

She was looking impeccably _average_ as always, despite her maids attempts to make her more exotic. Her slender, long limbs usually made her taller than most of the cute boys of the castle, a fact she had grown to hate. Riley was her own height, he was someone she could look at in the eye. Her hair was a silky honey color, flowing over her shoulders easily. Her boring blue eyes were half-open and tired-looking as always.

She'd seen the duchesses and the lady courtiers. Seen their elegance and beauty. She couldn't help feeling small in comparison despite her height and stature. Princess or not, she still looked like _this_. Like someone you'd bump into the street and forget in seconds because they were so average and dull and _forgettable_. If it wasn't for her crown, she'd be invisible.

And she couldn't bear the thought.

Riley grasped her wrists and tugged her towards the doors to the throne room. The guards shot him sharp, warning looks and he flushed, letting go of her instantly. Zelda pushed past the heavy marble doors, her heels clicking the floor at timed paces.

The courtiers silenced themselves as she walked in, Riley scurrying to the sidelines quickly. Zelda brushed off the heavy stares on her as she approached her own throne, greeting her father politely. "Is that really your best dress?" He asked.

"Yes." She lied, sitting down. She was not about to work to impress an _Outsider._

"Hm." Her father nodded absently. Stroking his regal trimmed beard with a thoughtful look.

The doors burst open, a red-faced bald squire stumbled in. His chest was rising up and down heavily as he panted, resting his hands on his knees as he leaned forward trying to catch his breath.

"Sire…*_huff, huff*_…a flying…_*cough*_… capsule was found, oh gods…_*cough, pant*_... on the front…_*huff*_ gates to the city…_*hack*_..so much damage…_*cough, gasp*_…found Lord Rauru…*_hack_*…lying on the floor…_*cough*_…vomiting his lunch…_*huff, gasp, shiver*_…wasn't pretty…"

"Well, where is he?" The King demanded.

"Still there…villagers will…take care of him…" The squire dropped to his knees, wheezing violently. Zelda bit on her lower lip.

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" The King yelled. "Get the man over here! We don't want those filthy, little peasants touching him! Oh poor Rauru!"

"But sire…that's not all…"

"What? What else could there be?" The King fumed.

The squire looked up, eyes eager now. "Impa…and him…they've _arrived_."

Gasps swept across the room. The King stiffened in shock. Then, simultaneously, the crowd burst into cheer. The messenger sighed happily and fell on the floor in exhaustion. Zelda watched in confusion as her father jumped up, face beaming with joy. "He's come for us! He's come!"

* * *

_**IV. Unwelcome**_

**_…_**

**_Divum Palace_**

Link was exhausted by the time they'd arrived at the palace gates. His feet ached from both the collision and the walking. The town here was outrageously huge.

He didn't mind the stares he'd received when they passed through the agora. Especially when most of them came from giggling maidens. What did bother him were the hushed whispers that followed behind him, growing louder yet still incomprehensible.

He was glad to get away from the prying eyes. The spotlight, at times, could get rather irritating.

The Castle's iron, coal colored gates were sturdy and beautiful, with carved angels and cherubs in the sides. Yet they had one tiny flaw. They were locked.

"Were they not expecting us?" Link asked Impa in confusion. She merely shook her head as she checked at the lock. "That girl…"

* * *

..Earlier..

"Is this a good idea, Zelda? Is meeting an Outsider really that bad?"

"Yes!" Zelda snapped as she wrapped the glowing chains around the gate, pushing firmly on the lock and nodding as it clicked loudly.

"Ah," She leaned back, smiling satisfactorily, "that will do."

"Footsteps!" Riley yelped. His hearing had always been much better than hers, something that Zelda found ironic as she did have longer ears.

"Let's go!" Riley urged her back into the Castle, their steps hasty and quick. The people had barely noticed their leaving, but their arrival was certainly at the worst possible time. The happiness had died out for the moment, her father was seated once more, a smile on his face still.

"Zelda!" He cried, ignoring Riley as always. "Sit sit!"

Zelda hurried to her throne, flipping back a curl of hair that strayed to her face. "Where were you?" Her father asked.

She smiled tightly, hoping she didn't seem too nervous. "Nowhere."

* * *

..

Link, apparently had received some special training. Impa barely had time to process his movements as he launched himself at the roof of the gates with one simple jump, flipped back to the other side, and turned to smirk at her. "Don't tell me you can't do _that_ Impa. Surely a sage of your stature would have known how, right?"

She locked her jaw and glared at him. She grabbed the lock, tightened her biceps, and with one quick yank the chains shattered. Link blinked, his eyes widening. "Or," Impa said, stepping in, "you could have just done that."

Link stared at her. "You…"

"Come along." Impa snapped, gesturing for him to follow her in the Castle. "No time to waste."

…

_Divum Palace_

The doors opened unceremoniously. Courtiers whirled around and peeked over to see the visitor. Zelda's heart leapt up and she gasped in happiness.

"Impa!"

Her sagely caretaker nodded at her gently, walking towards the King and kneeling before him. "My Liege." She addressed him.

"Impa!" Her father grinned. "Where is the boy?"

Her caretaker frowned, then turned around. "I could have sworn he was just…" She stood and hollered across the room. "Link!"

Another figure appeared. Zelda's smile slipped. They got through the gates. How did they get through the gates?

Light flooded the room, bright and white-hot. Zelda squinted at the intensity of it. The figure cast a tall shadow against the sudden flare. The light died down and Zelda blinked to regain her sight.

"Who is-"

Her question was cut short as her eyes locked on the Outsider.

He sauntered forward, his steps effortlessly timed and his posture just screaming of confidence. His hair was the color of sunlight, falling naturally in place, sweeping over his eyes and framing his rather square jaw. He wore the clothes of an adventurer like a prince, a light grey tunic and brown trousers adorned with sand and mud-stained boots.

Zelda could feel her eyes widen and from a distance she could see Riley's shocked expression, mirroring her own. What was this?

_This_ was the Outsider? She'd always imagined what they would look like. In time, an image had been installed in her mind, pieces taken from her father and the council's ruthless description of them. Outsiders were brutes, their appearance barbaric and otherworldly. They had ragged, uncombed, hair and wore pelts made of animal skin with decapitated heads adorning their chests. Their bodies were hulking and covered in lumps and bloody scars. Their faces were painted with ink and blood, they had pointed teeth for feasting on human flesh, and their eyes were wide and circular, red with savage bloodlust. And they were terribly uncivilized, uneducated, and had horribly disfigured faces.

But this boy, he looked nothing like that. He looked just like her own people. How could this be?

"He is dirtying the carpet." An aristocrat commented on the side, absently voicing his thoughts. "Shh!" A lady snapped. "Don't you know who that is?"

_Don't you know who that is?_

Zelda blinked. Was she suppoused to?

The Outsider stopped just after the threshold, the people held their silence.

The Outsider lifted his face and cocked his head, bangs swaying to allow them a view of his profile. Zelda gasped in surprise as she met his eyes. They were two pools of deep midnight blue flecked with sunlight rays of gold. His nose was straight and his features were angled and perfectly symmetrical, his cheekbones looking prominent. His lips were pulled in a smile, feral and proud, like a wolf's.

"Link." Impa said with a hint of impatience. "The King wishes for you to approach the throne and properly introduce yourself."

The boy remained rooted to the spot, Zelda raised a brow. Perhaps the Outsider –Link- did not understand. Perhaps it was true that Outsiders were uneducated.

_"Galie orel o'lehs avey miasu._" The boy spoke in fluent Ancient Hylian, perhaps the hardest language Zelda ever had the displeasure of learning. Her jaw dropped upon hearing the words rolling smoothly out of his mouth. _"Kiel jue uziel faronne, toll que vey .Veri wexe veriae ellio, Majetste."_

**'_I'm afraid I cannot. The ruler must personally address his foreign visitors, according to the books of etiquette. Is that not right, Majesty?'_**

Zelda tried not to be impressed, but she had never heard of an Outsider that could speak Ancient Hylian.

Link continued, _"Bei tuje avel woh jeda xucria. Ie jye cui het gol reuy."_

_**'This is a lovely palace. How long has it remained under your rule?'**_

Her father nudged her at her side, looking sheepish. He did not speak Ancient Hylian, he never had the time to learn. Zelda glanced at him and nodded. She would have to talk to the Outsider.

The disgustingly normal Outsider.

Zelda cleared her throat, feeling nervous for no reason whatsoever. His eyes strayed and locked on hers, sending a jitter down her spine. _"Mya Majeste iegh reveil uhte pasquia, Ousque._"

_**'His Majesty requests that you step forward, Outsider."**_

His dark brows shot up at the words, Impa's head snapped up and glared at her, voice stern. "Princess!"

"It's fine." Link said in a placating tone. He held up a hand as he strode forward._ " Viorte gusta xeri zeo voile ledi. Mui summe ve del morique terro leli?_"

**_'Such sharp words from such a lovely lady. I assume you are the infamous Princess, yes?'_**

Zelda felt shame pinch her cheeks, she bit her lower lip. "I do not speak much Ancient Hylian."

He smirked softly, the edge of his lips curling up beautifully. "But you understood what I said, yes?"

She blushed. "Yes."

Link chuckled and kneeled before her father. "Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you. I am Link Raziel Avignon, The Second. "

"Not as much as it is to meet you." The King replied, his eyes wide in excitement. "You are the Hero of the Legends, aren't you?"

Link frowned, then chuckled good-naturedly. "…_What?_"

"Your Majesty." Impa spoke, cutting in. "Now is_ not _the time. The prophecy shall unravel itself."

The King slumped slightly, looking slightly embarrassed. "Of course. Think nothing of what I've said, Sir Link. Where do you hail from?"

"Hyrule." He answered simply.

"Hyrule?" Zelda asked. "What is that?"

"Not now, dear ." Panic was beginning to tinge the King's words. He turned to Link again. "Oh, do stand Sir Link. Please."

"Your Majesty." He nodded, getting to his feet. Zelda found that he was quite tall, taller than her. The court ladies allowed their eyes to roll over him, smiling in quiet appreciation.

"My dear." The King faced his daughter. "Please show Sir Link to the guest chambers."

"Which one father?"

"The one across your room, I believe, is still available."

Zelda's heart leapt to her throat, Link only smirked, humbly casting his head down as he did so. "Your Majesty, I don't think your daughter finds the arrangements suitable. Perhaps I can-"

"No!" The King shook his head jovially, eyes sparkling with mirth. "Do not be so quick to judge my daughter, Sir Link! She hasn't shown even the slightest interests towards any man."

"Oh, really?" Link asked, looking genuinely intruiged. "How unfortunate, she really is quite beautiful."

Zelda, to her horror, felt herself blush. This Outsider was complimenting her as if she weren't even there! And her father was _laughing!_

"Yes, she takes after her mother."

"If you don't mind my asking," Link said, directing his exotic blue-gold eyes her way, "what is your name, fair lady?"

"Zelda." She said, voice soft and her tone oddly small. Link smiled. " It is a pleasure meeting you, Princess. I've heard stories about you in the Downworld."

"Then, perhaps they aren't true. Downworlders don't have the slightest notion of our cultured life here."

"Princess." Impa said again, reprimanding and with a glare.

"Don't be rude to our guest, Zelda." The King said, lightly tapping her wrist with a stern stare. "Show him to his room."

Zelda refrained from declining. "As you wish, Father."

…

_Aula_

Zelda lifted her skirt up as she glided across the hallway, spotting the Outsider –no-_Link, _staring up at the gigantic portraits adorning the walls. She made her way to him silently, her steps muted.

Link shifted, craning his head as he surveyed the painting. In it was a broken, ravaged valley with dead soil and dead trees with limp, decaying leaves. A man, strong and built with pale muscles and a hard body covered in ivory robes levitated above the scene. His hair was the color of pure gold, dancing in the wind and in his hands he held a sword. It was long and deadly with a shining blade and and a beautifully crafted hilt.

"This is 'The Descent of Peace', is it not?" He said, seeming to know she stood behind him despite her efforts to be invisible. "The portrayal of the Judgement. A time when a Hero would be chosen to save the land."

Zelda blinked in shock. "How did you know?"

"I consider myself a man of culture."Link shrugged his broad shoulders, turning around to face her. His blue-gold eyes were sparkling with amusement. "I guess now you'll be showing me to my chambers, Princess."

Zelda nodded mutely. A man of culture, was he? Even _she _didn't know of the painting's purpose. What kind of Outsider was this?

"Zelda!" A voice yelled from across the hallway. The pair, already halfway up a flight of ivory stairs, turned. Riley was hurrying towards them, red-faced. "Zelda!"

"Riley, what is it?"

He panted and came to a stop at the beginning of the stairs, trying to catch his breath. A spark of amusement lit the blue of Link's eyes. Zelda was all too aware of this.

"I…I just thought you might want some company. I know you aren't very fond of Outsiders." Riley said, purposely ignoring Link's presence.

"Riley!" Zelda hissed.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." She apologized to Link, staring down so as not to look into his eyes.

"Are you?" He replied, sounding faintly accusing. "It seems like I'm unwelcome here."

"You are, Outsider." Riley said, mustering the will to glare him in the eyes. Link raised a brow, the gold lining of his eyes growing sharp and bright. "I believe it's out of your place to really have any say in this matter, boy."

_"Boy?"_ Annoyance flashed in Riley's eyes. "I am not-"

"Riley." Zelda cut in desperately. "We're fine. You don't have to escort me."

"Surely you jest." Riley blinked. "You want me to leave you with this …_him?_"

"The name is Link." Link cut in, voice light and careless.

"I never asked." Riley snapped at him.

"Riley, Sir Link is a _guest_." Zelda began, feeling oddly defensive. "So, please, treat him like one."

"It's not a problem if he wants to escort you." Link said, a smirk beginning on his lips. "He seems set on following you around like a lost puppy."

Riley's jaw slacked. Link nodded in satisfaction before turning to the Princess.

"My room?"

A blush sprouted on her face and she nodded hurriedly. "Right. Of course."

They went up the stairs, Zelda desperately trying to cool the heat in her cheeks. She could feel his stare burning through her back.

"It's here." Zelda said, gesturing to a pair of grand porcelain doors with a golden arch and intricate swirls carved onto it. Link hardly looked fazed at the elegance it posed. Without another word, he brushed past her, the fabric of his tunic brushing hers and sending her heart into a frenzy, and opened the door.

He stepped into the room, hands in his pockets and stopped, taking it all in. Zelda looked over his shoulder as he inspected the clean, polished floors and the luxurious dark bedding.

Zelda felt a tap on her shoulder and turned. "Yes, Riley?"

He looked uneasy, discomfort twisting his features. "Is he really going to be sleeping _across from your room?"_

She sighed tiredly. "Yes. He is."

"This can't be, Zelda. Your father can't even bear the thought of you so much as sitting in the same bench as a boy. This Outsider can't just waltz in and demand to take the nearest sleeping chamber to you!"

Zelda felt her face redden even more, an unattractive tint of red coloring her cheeks. "He didn't. You heard what my father said. And you heard Sir Link decline, but he'd have none of it!"

"_Still-_"

"Oh, what do you want me to do Riley?" Zelda sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's obvious Father likes him."

"But why?"

"Because I'm so amazing?" Link's voice interrupted, his head peeking out the half-open door. Riley glared at him murderously. Link barely flinched, only smiled. "No? It's probably my good looks then."

"Enjoy it while you can, Outsider." Riley snarled. "Because once everyone regains their sense they'll finally see you as who you are. A fake, conniving, petty Downworlder who has somehow managed to worm himself in with the Greats."

"_Temper_, servant boy. Watch your temper."

Riley growled and turned to Zelda. "I'll be going. Why don't you stay and keep _Sir Link_ company?" He turned on his heels and stormed away.

Zelda strangely felt no need to chase after him, as she would have done on any other day.

"Do you always let him speak out of line like that?" Link inquired with a thoughtful look.

"He is my _friend_." Zelda snapped.

His eyes narrowed, she felt the blue in his irises probing her mind. A reluctant smile crossed his face, the simple beauty of it making her stomach tumble. "But of course. You are as humble as you are beautiful, Princess."

That was when her trance broke. She wasn't beautiful, it was a fact she'd known all her life. She was normal, not pretty. Maybe cute, but not _beautiful. _The Outsider was lying through his charms.

"Please don't flatter me."

"I was just speaking the truth." He shrugged.

Lie.

"Enjoy your stay." She gritted her teeth, clenching her hands into fists."

He grinned. "Oh, I will."

* * *

Oh, that was all a mouthful too. Yeesh. It seems like Fatal Attraction, but the hostility between the two has more history, y'know? :P

Review if the story is worth continuing.

...Just review, okay? :D

-HVM


	3. Logic

Third update. WOOT!

The_ Italic Bold_ words are written in Latin, in case you were wondering.

Recurring languages will be here. French will probably come next, only cause I'm taking classes on it. :P

Review! Review! Hurray!... Once I grow up, I'll probably stop ranting in these intros like a demented three-year old. Not likely though.

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise.**

* * *

_-Progenies- _

The Descent

**_V. Conflicts_**

**_…_**

**_Divum Palace_**

Sir Link, it seemed, was not in the least fazed by the grandeur and luxury of the Sky Palace. Something she found both annoying yet endearing of him.

During the inevitably painful dinner that night, one she shared with her father, Captain Seele of the Army, and of course Link, she had noticed The King subtly fixing his eyes on her and their guest. He had an expectant look in his eyes, something between her and him seemed to spark his interest.

"Is steak suppoused to be this rare?" Link asked, staring at the plate of shredded bloody meat served before him. Zelda, who sat across blinked and wrinkled her nose. The metallic stench filled the air, immediately her appetite disappeared.

The King looked sheepish and angry. "I apologize, Sir Link. Our head chef isn't fond of visitors."

Link looked up, his stare unnervingly intense. "You mean **Outsiders.**"

Zelda flinched in her chair. Her father shook his head quickly in hopes of redeeming his acceptance. "No, no. We Upworlders never look down on anyone outside our own world. And you, Sir Link, are far from an Outsider."

"Could have fooled me." He quipped casually, his deep eyes flicking to Zelda for a moment before returning to his plate. "In fact, I'm not even hungry."

"We can fire the chef." Captain Seele suggested. "And a new meal shall be prepared for you."

"Oh, don't bother." Link smiled, his teeth flashing in the sparkle of the chandeliers above. "Really, I'm not hungry. I think a walk through town would suit my fancy for now."

"Marielle!" The King snapped his fingers suddenly as Link stood from his seat. A tall slender maid scurried over. "Please show Sir Link to the local tourist attractions."

"Yes, Highness." Marielle bowed obediently. Zelda could see Link's eyes stare through the maid, his mouth twitching.

Marielle was one of the rare slightly attractive servants working in the palace. She had sleek short caramel hair and bright green eyes that always seemed to be glued to the floor. Her form was one many plump ladies in Sky City would kill to have. Curves, thin arms, graceful neck, long legs...

Link checked his fingerless gloves before turning back to them with a breezy smile. "I hope you'll enjoy your dinner. Forgive me for appearing rude."

"No, no!" Captain Seele said cheerfully. "Not at all!"

"Yes, Sir Link, please do not feel obligated whatsoever." The King joined in.

A smirk came to Link's face. "I wasn't planning to." Ho bowed stiffly, golden locks sweeping down with the gesture. "Captain, Your Highness," His eyes came to rest on hers and a frown came to his eyes. "Princess."

She pursed her lips and glared through a curtain of blond hair.

He turned on his heel and marched to the gaping red doors, reaching out to a wide hallway. "Hurry along." The King snapped at Marielle who flushed and nodded hurriedly.

_**…**_

_**Vivax Ineo**_

Link despised being alone. But what he hated more was the company of someone useless and watchful.

In this case, Marielle was both.

And it was up to Link to –in the most 'gentlemanly' way possible- get rid of her.

"So, does the Princess come out to town often?" Link asked. Then cursed himself. How did this conversation suddenly turn towards her? The woman who seemed to be set on regarding him as nothing more than a lower life form?

"No Sire." Marielle answered curtly, her eyes glued to the many trinkets hanging down his neck. He had to smile as he watched her eyes travel up and meet his, which then caused them to narrow and turn away. "You're wearing an awful lot of accessory."

"Only for today. I was hoping to trade these away in search of more useful items."

"Well I wish you the best of luck. The merchants here are stubborn; they prefer payment not trade, Sire." She said.

"I'm sure I can get them to." Link said arrogantly, a smile coming to his lips. "I'm rather convincing."

"I'm sure, Sire." Marielle replied drily.

The agora was relatively much more drab and lonely in the evening. The hustling of trade and hearty hellos were a morning trait. A few shopkeepers lingered behind booths, 'open' signs hung on shop walls.

"Mercus' Map Emporium." Link mumbled to himself, stopping abruptly in front of a plain grey building. The sign was wooden and crudely painted, he was only able to decipher the words with his sharp vision. "That sounds promising." He turned his attention to the rickety porch and splinter-adorned stairs. "Though it could use a slight physical improvement."

"Not many go here, Sire." Marielle said in a mourning tone. "The need for maps, as you can imagine, does not really exist here. Old Man Mercus, I imagine he is dead, was once an aspiring adventurer. His son is chasing after the same impossible dream. They'd rather die than close down the shop first."

Link nodded, his hand coming to touch the golden hanging necklace hidden inside his shirt. "They sound…interesting."

"They are."

Without another word, he stepped forward and entered the shabby establishment. To give the owners their due, the inside looked far better. The shelves were stacked neatly with dusty scrolls and a few opened books littered the desk in front of them. A large glass display was underneath, showcasing rather eloquent looking maps on aged-looking parchments.

Link looked around. "No one's here. Perhaps they went out."

"Castor never goes out."

He spared her a confused glance."Who?"

Marielle appeared to be caught off guard. "Er, Castor is Old Man Mercus' son. They are notorious for not being too sociable and outgoing."

"So is anyone here?" Link asked, his voice loud as if to direct to any who might hear.

"I can assist you." A meek voice replied. Link and Marielle looked about, searching for the voice. "Where are-"

"Right here." The meek voice sounded annoyed now and Link realized it to be coming from behind the counter. A painfully thin young man stood from the floor, his skinny limbs were unbelievably pale. He had a mop of blond white hair and piercing brown eyes.

"Ah," Link nodded, choosing to ignore the oddness of the boy's looks. Marielle took a step behind him, he could see her biting her lip in his mind. "You must be Castor."

"Only three people know my name. But my father can hardly remember me, my mother is dead, and so I can only assume that Marielle has told you." The boy said, his voice even gloomier than his expression. He turned his eyes to the woman behind Link. "Is that her?"

Marielle shifted from foot to foot, looking unsettled. "Yes it is I."

Link watched as Castor stiffened at her voice. "Why have you returned? Did you run away from the castle?"

"No." Marielle's expression was tight and her voice was even colder than before. "I am accompanying Sir Link to his walk around Sky City."

"Sir Link?" Castor turned his attention on him, eyes squinting as he surveyed Link's tall posture. "I've never seen you before."

"I'm new to the town." Link answered, savoring the disgust slowly creeping into the boy's eyes.

"An _Outsider_?" He turned to Marielle with an accusing stare. "Why are you with him?"

"Castor, please." Marielle sighed in exasperation and stepped up next to Link. "We've just come here to browse through your maps."

"Browse through my maps?" Castor repeated, his voice gaining volume. "After all those years of childhood memories and avoiding me, you come by here and tell me that all you have to say to me is that you want to _browse through my maps_ with an _Outsider?"_

Link smirked. "You know, ever since we've come here, all you've done is ask her questions."

"Which she has yet to answer."

"It is not your place to demand that of her." Link was tiring of their verbal banter. He had an object of critical importance to steal- er, buy.

Castor, however, was in no rush to do business. "Spare me, Outsider. Your mask of chivalry is cracking."

"You're losing good business as you speak." Link said as he unclasped a silver chained necklace and laid it on the table. Castor's eyes immediately landed on it. The pendant was made of gold, silver edges encasing an amethyst jewel. Marielle's breath hitched at the sight of it.

Castor blinked. "What is that?"

"A necklace. Forged from Death Mountain and Snowpeak."

The words sent a current of homesickness through Castor. Death Mountain. Snowpeak.

_…Hyrule._

His brown eyes lit up and he glared at Link. "What do you want for it?"

"A map, a special one. A map of the Downworld."

"We have many of those." Castor grimaced at the word. "Nobody wants to buy them."

"Forgive me, I meant the world far below the Downworld itself."

Castor's eyes flashed. "A map of Death's Kingdom? Why would you want such a thing?"

Link froze. The Upworlders sure were nosy. He glared cooly at the boy, hiding his uneasiness with a blank look. _This_ was what Link had been searching for, an escape, a break-in through the barrier between death and life itself. With that map, time was on his side. With that map, he could escape the prophecy and bring back what had been wrenched cruelly away from his childhood life.

He could bring back one of the most important people in his life, the only person he had ever really loved and felt loved by.

Link sighed in mock annoyance. "Enough with the petty questions. Do have it or not?"

"No, actually, I don't."

Silence set in for a few moments before Link smiled, hand tapping on the hilt of his sheathed sword. "You're lying."

"The map belongs to my father. He will not sell it. Not for anything in the world."

"You father will have no use for the map." Link said, his eyes narrowing. "The old soul will not make it to the Afterlife he seeks. He is too weak."

Marielle's head spun. What were they talking about?

"The map of the dead will be of no use to the living. And you look very much alive, Sir Link."

Link unsheathed his sword, the metallic ring echoing around the room. Marielle started forward. "Sire, please!"

Castor stumbled back, his face draining of color. Link grimaced but pressed on. He hated getting things through intimidation. "Give me the map boy. You have no idea how critical it is that I receive it."

_"Sire!"_ Marielle grabbed Link's arm, trying desperately to calm the situation. "Sire, we can search for this...this _map_ in the castle. I am sure they have it."

Link's eyes sparked with anger, the gold searing through Castor, who trembled against a wall. "I think you should l-leave now Marielle."

"Sire," Marielle tugged on his arm. With a disgusted scoff, he sheathed his sword and allowed himself to be pulled back. _"Upworlders…"_

_…_

_**Regius Cubiculum**_

Zelda slept fretfully that night. The Outsider had managed to invade her dreams.

_She stood on the cusp of a desert, the sand blew around her, raking through her golden hair. Her dress was torn and tattered, a bruise stretched across her face. Her lips were cracked and swollen._

_She limped towards a faraway colosseum structure, her bruises looked worse in the harsh glare of the sun. She stumbled and fell several times, always managing to get back to her feet._

_The Colosseum was ancient and ravaged, columns lying on the floor, split in two. Inside the arena was a coal-black throne looking pristine and important. The sun had already given way to the spill of blackness in the sky._

_Vision hazy, she was able to make out a person on the throne. A cry of joy escaped her lips, "Link!"_

_The young man lifted his head up, the blue-gold mix of his eyes boring through her mind. The wind played with his hair and he smiled kindly, giving out the appearance of a pleased angel. "Oh." He spoke, his voice a whisper yet clear over the rushing of the wind. "You're here."_

_Lanterns flickered to life around them, filling the arena in a hazy honey-colored light._

_He stood, eyes flashing with something unreadable and unsettling. Excitement thrummed down to her toes, her previous weariness vanished suddenly._

_"You've found me." He declared with his arm outstretched to the sky. The gauntlets he wore were stained with dirt and blood. She watched as starlight descended and danced on his fingertips. The moon sparkled with a newfound intensity. "You've found me, Zelda."_

_She watched as the light of his eyes burned through the darkness. "Link?"_

_"It's okay, Zelda." He crooned, stepping closer, his calm voice like a sedative. "You can stay here."_

_"No." Zelda shook her head, smiling. "I know a way out. I came to bring you back home."_

_"You can stay here." He said, again, closer this time. "Stay here. With me."_

_His eyes drew her in, her feet moved against her will. His eyes raked over her form lazily, the bruises not fazing him in the least bit._

_"But…" her voice was soft, dreamlike. "They need us above. We need to-"_

_"Zelda," His eyes looked sorrowful and he shook his head slowly. A smile came to his face, one that said 'If only you knew…' "Zelda, look at yourself."_

_The wind nipped at her fresh wounds, she cringed at the sting. She was closer to him now, standing a mere feet away from his dark throne. He descended down invisible steps and reached out a hand to her._

_She felt a tingle as his hand passed through her arm, mist curled around his touch. Up close, he seemed ethereal and different. His form was no longer solid, smoke wafted from the sunlight strands of his hair. His eyes were the only things that seemed real about him._

_"Link?"_

_He looked at the uncomely gash that snaked through her right cheek, it was pink and crooked. Darkness seeped into his eyes, the grime that lightly caked his forehead contrasted greatly with it. "Oh, Zelda." He grimaced slightly, shutting his eyes as if looking at it pained him greatly. "What have they done to you?"_

_"Link, please." Her voice grew urgent. "Come with me. Time is running out."_

_His body turned solid suddenly, the starlight in his fingers sparked and sizzled around his skin. His hands gripped her arm. "The world is so cruel up there, is it not? Why go back? In here"- he gestured to the black sky-"time has no rule over us."_

_"We don't belong here. This is no place for the living."_

_"It can be." He insisted. A feverish sparkle lit up his eyes. "Don't go, Zelda. Don't. If you do, you go alone."_

_She felt as if her breath had left her that instant. "You won't come back? Not even for me?"_

_A frown crossed his features. "Don't make me choose."_

_"Choose between life and death? It's an easy decision!" She twisted out of his grip._

_"Zelda, you don't understand. Down here, we can make our own destiny. We do not have to follow the whims of fate. If you stay, I will be yours."_

_Tears burned in her eyes, she fisted them away roughly and pulled back. "I'm sorry."_

_Anger flickered in his eyes, the starlight around him glowed with a dazzling light. "I tried." He whispered. "I tried to make you listen." The silver glow crackled like a white fire, searing with warmth. _

_"Link?" She began fearfully._

__

His eyes were dark, the blue had gone and the gold flecks had covered his pupils entirely. He lifted his face up to her and opened his mouth. A sound came out, half a scream and half a song. It was unearthly and harshly beautiful. It cut through her unbeating heart.

"I'm sorry, Zelda."

_"Link!" _

_The tip of starlight lunged forward and pierced her chest. Darkness blanketed her world, fire erupted in her veins._

_"I tried.." His words were tired. "I tried to make you listen…"_

_**...**_

The day had come too soon. Unfiltered sunlight poured in through the light, transparent drapes. Zelda rose slowly, her dreams rushing over her head at a dizzying speed.

The Outsider had disturbed her sleep. The Outsider had been in her dream. Worse, the Outsider was about to _kill_ her in her dream.

Zelda sat up from her bed, ignoring the mirror's reflection. She did not need a reminder of how average she looked. Not so early in the morn.

Carelessly, she strode to her closet, picking out the first thing she laid her eyes on. A sunny orange dress with a decent neckline, ruffled top, and a flowing hem. The straps fitted perfectly on her delicate shoulders.

She combed her hair a hundred times, like any self-respecting princess would. A simple yet extravagantly expensive golden pin attatched to her forehead, keeping her bangs away from her eyes. Her head felt significantly heavier under its weight.

Ah, the burden of royalty. The maid would knock on her door with a message any minute now…

"Milady, the King requests your presence for the morning meal."

She sighed. "Coming."

_…._

**_Amplitudo Dining Aula_**

"..the man spun on his heel and ran like a crazed chicken down the nearest alley."

Zelda raised her brow at the familiar low velvet tones of the voice. She stopped behind the barely-opened doors to the dining hall. Squinting, she took a peek inside.

Her father was there, along with Captain Seele and of course Link, who was the one currently talking. His hand rested on the table, drumming against the silverware, his eyes were bright and excited, the story flew effortlessly from his lips.

"I sped after him, telling Marielle to stay back since I did not plan to be gone for long. I cornered him against a damp brick wall he'd been hiding besides and unsheathed my sword.

"The man took one long look at it, then at me, dropped the pendant and scurried away."

Link paused to sip from his drink. "Did I mention that the sword was _wooden?_"

Her father chuckled merrily. "I'm afraid most Upworlder men have become cowards."

Zelda saw Link's eyes darken momentarily, but the sparkle returned in a flash. "I thought so too."

"But do tell me…" Her father said, "why do you carry a wooden sword?"

Link appeared thoughtful for a moment before shrugging slightly. "I don't want to hurt anybody, I guess."

Zelda stepped in, feeling as if the timing was right. Her father glanced up and smiled broadly. "Ah, Zelda! Lovely you could join us."

She nodded and curtseyed. "Father, Captain Seele…" Her eyes involuntarily darted to the storyteller. "Sir Link."

He glanced up for a moment and she shruddered inside as their eyes locked.

_Up close, he seemed ethereal and different. His form was no longer solid, smoke wafted from the sunlight strands of his hair. His eyes were the only things that seemed real about him._

The corner of his mouth lifted slowly. "Princess."

Stiffly, she looked to her father who gestured to the empty chair next to their guest. Trying her best not to grimace, and ultimately failing, Zelda sat next to Link. He frowned, as if her hesitance was a physical force. One he did not like.

He did not belong here here, Zelda knew that. She hoped he knew it too.

"The food is delicious." Link complimented lightly. "I just hope the chef hasn't poisoned my meal."

Apparently, he was already well aware.

_**…**_

**_Vernula Castra aestiva_**

Riley was _furious._ Blind with rage, you could say. Or literally blind. After his 'discussion' with Zelda, he stumbled into the male servants' quarters on the lower floors, tripping over every single thing.

A good amount of people noticed his bad friend Hedgeson, was the only one who bothered to ask him about it.

Hedgeson, or Hedge, was a rather stubby little person. His face was round and usually red, no matter his mood. He had a pug nose and his black eyes were wide and innocent, betraying his sarcastic and dark personality. Hedgeson inherited his mother's flaming red hair, one he prefferred to keep 'dashingly messy'.

Riley knew that it was far from 'dashingly messy'. In fact, it was just messy. And it drove the maids wild (the bad kind).

Hedge followed him to the corner of the room where he sulked. The servants shot him curious looks. Hedge spoke up, "You got in a fight with the Princess?"

Riley was hardly surprised he knew. Hedgeson could read minds like an open book. The rest of the people in the room shuffled to attention.

They knew Riley was rather close to the Princess. They teased him about it everyday, taunting him whenever he blushed at the mention of her name or how he stuttered with words everytime she looked him in the eyes.

Riley growled. "Yeah."

"Anything to do with the Outsider?" A boy yelled from across the room. Riley scowled upon noticing him. Ronin, a haughty servant boy.

Riley looked down, the mention of the Outsider made him sizzle with anger.

"Yeah, heard he and the Princess really _hit it off._ I heard she fawned over him _all day._ Isn't that right, Riley?" Ronin laughed.

Riley threw himself off the wall and stalked outside to their untidy living room. He opened the door and stormed outside, entering a humble hallway. Hedge followed dutifully. "What happened?"

"That- that Outsider, that _brute,_ has managed to weasel into the King's good graces and obtain the room across from the Princess!" Riley fumed, spinning around. His dark eyes flashed.

Hedge shrugged, unaffected. "So?"

Riley's jaw fell. "SO? _SO?_ So that Outsider can invade her sleeping chambers at any moment. He's probably picking the lock as we speak!"

"First of all," Hedge said in a hoity-toity sagely accent, "it's morning so I doubt he's doing that now. And secondly, I think you're blowing this out of proportion. Thirdly, your shoes are untied."

"I'm not wearing any."

"I know, just wanted to see if you'd fall for it. And last but not least, I think you're just stressing over this because you're worried that the Outsider will somehow 'woo' the Princess you are so pathetically in love with."

Color drained from Riley's face. "That- that's not…She would never fall for an Outsider. _Never."_

"Really?" Hedge smirked. "Tell me, would you describe this Outsider as an unattractive specimen?"

Riley rolled his eyes, locking his jaw. "I'm a _man_, Hegde. Don't ask me. I don't find _other_ men attractive."

"Ha. Ha." Hedge grinned. "Fine then, consider it like this, would my sister date him?"

"Your sister?"

As if on cue, a girl breezed by with the same flaming red hair as Hedge. "What about me?"

Deeyana had her brother's dark eyes and red hair. Yet she was tall and striking, unlike her Hedge. She noticed Riley and smiled prettily, lighting up her whole face as a result. She didn't seem to notice his dark mood. "Hi Riley!"

"Hey, Dee." Her brother said. "Would _you_ date the Outsider? You know, the guy that just arrived."

"What? Why?" Deeyana frowned.

"Nothing. No reason." Riley cut in sharply.

"Because Riley right here, is worried about the honor of his lady love."

"Shut up!" Riley hissed.

Deeyana smiled, her brows raising high. "Lady love?"

"Oh, you know," Hedge snickered. "The Princess."

"Oh." Deeyana's face fell for a moment. "Um, I haven't really seen him. Marielle has, though." Color blossomed on her cheeks. "She won't say, but by the looks of her when she returned, I'd say he's fairly decent looking."

"Gah!" Riley curled his hands into fists. "Mutiny! Mutiny I say!"

"Get over it." Hedge laughed. "If the Princess were ever to fall for him, I'd say it wouldn't last. You've been her friend for the longest time Riley. She'll come around."

Riley sighed haggardly. "Let's pray she does."

* * *

Ooh!

**Can you guess who Link is trying to bring back? Probably not, yeah? We'll get more into that later. _And just for a heads-up it isn't anyone he's romantically involved with. _ Yeah, think about _that_.**

**Riley is a sweet boy, I'm trying to make that obvious. Don't think I'm doing a satisfactory job on _that _department. :P**

**But REVIEW and REVIEW. If you want, you can read the chappie all over again and _REVIEW_ again. ;)**

_-HVM_


	4. Sight

Third update. WOOT!

The_ Italic Bold_ words are written in Latin, in case you were wondering.

Recurring languages will be here. French will probably come next, only cause I'm taking classes on it. :P

:: :: :: ::

3.23.11- For my reviewers who I assume are confused as to exactly what is going on. (I do have a tendency to be confusing, meh.)

Oh, and to **The Pilot, **_I salute you back from a sorry-looking spacecraft which shall remain nameless ( because I can't think of one)._

_Hm, _can you read the Chapter Title? If so, you know exactly what memorable character I'm going to introduce. _**(Hint: From Oot!) **_

When in doubt... _Review!_

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise.**

* * *

_-Progenies- _

The Descent

**VI. Sheik of the Sheikah**

_…_

**_Palaestra Yard_**

The guards, under strict command of Captain Seele, were perfectly courteous to Link all day.

And the perceptive egomaniac had taken notice immediately.

Zelda watched him carefully through the shade of her reading tree. Leaves sprawled above her in a circular canopy, little columns of light touching the edges of her book.

She plastered a finger to the page she had stopped and closed it, narrowing her eyes as she made out Link's form.

He donned, what it seemed from a distance, a traditional knight's chainmail and a green tunic over it. She had never seen that color on him.

His boots were still black and clean, unlike his pants which seemed to be stained by mud and sprinkled with sand.

The practice sword he held seemed to be glowing as it swung in a graceful arc, landing roughly on his opponent's helm. The guard who'd been hit wobbled and dropped to his knees, a stream of new obscenities flowing from his mouth.

The guard cried out gruffly. "Son of a-"

She saw a smirk dart across Link's face before he landed a kick to the man's chest. "_Language_, good sir."

She huffed, crossing her arms. She hoped her disapproval was as physical as her hostility, maybe she'd be able to teach the Outsider, no -_Link-, _a few lessons.

The poor man he'd been sparring glared at him from the ground, swinging his sword deftly across Link's knee. Zelda gasped. In the blink of an eye, however, Link had been able to jump and completely dodge the attack. "That was a low blow." He complained teasingly. "Sloppy, too."

Grinning, Link stepped back. "I'm taking a quick break, why don't you go patch up your head soldier?"

A few onlookers snickered. The man growled, jumping up then wincing. "Yes, _Sire."_

"Go on," Link waved him away.

"Do you need a bandage, Sire?" A nurse called out, blinking coquettishly. Her friends giggled.

"Not yet, dear." Link jested, his voice sounding light and playful. "But soon, if you're lucky."

"We'll have our fingers crossed." She smiled.

"Oh," Link tapped on his chin thoughtfully, pointing to a rather chubby guard. "You won't mind getting me some water would you? You don't seem to be doing anything."

The boy spluttered in embarrassment and an elder knight elbowed him. "Go on, Jonathan. Cap'n doesn't want anybody givin' im a hard time."

"Thank you, Mr. Sunshine." Link nodded at the man.

"It's _Sondine_, Sire. My name is _Sondine_."

Link turned away, looking distinctly bored. "Is it now? That's nice."

Zelda stood abruptly and walked over, grimacing. Time to put him back in line. This wasn't _his_ palace.

She saw that the green tunic complimented him well. The jade color made him look solid and yet peaceful, even though his previous actions suggested otherwise.

The guards preformed sloppy bows, not expecting her immediate presence. Link, who had looked up from polishing his blade, frowned and turned.

His glance came her way and a gentle formed on his face. He fell into a gracious bow and strode over to her. "What brings you here, Princess?"

"I was reading." She answered stiffly. He looked down on the book she held in the crook of her arm then said, "May I have a look?"

Hesitantly, she handed it to him, holding off the lecture for the meanwhile. He pursed his lips at the front cover. "Hm, the _Histories of a Thousand Tides."_

"Yes," Zelda lied. "It's a fascinating biography of Captain Teyla's adventures. She was a Queen."

Link's eyes sparked with humor, his smile evolved into a grin. He looked around then leaned forward at her, she froze. "Have you truly been reading this? Because I have. It's not a biography, it's a fiction novel."

Zelda's cheeks flamed. He was standing so close. _He had read the book._ His breath smelled like mint, his scent like forest and sunshine. _He had showed her how incapable she was of reading said book properly._ And his hair looked soft to touch. _He had insulted her_.

Link added, "And Captain Teyla was a _pirate_ who murdered a _queen. _She was far from a royal."

"Um." She blinked. "I…"

"It's okay." He laughed, touching her upper arm briefly. Her skin heated in response. "I won't tell."

"You…how did you know of this book? It is- is so rich of culture. So complicated and lengthy. How could you possible have read it? You're an Outsider, you can't-"She stopped abruptly, to stop the flow of words from escaping her mouth. She clamped a hand over her lips as a shadow passed over his eyes. "I'm _so_ sorry, Sir Link. I didn't mean…"

She trailed off when he tapped her wrists softly, then wrapped a hand around it, his eyes probing wordlessly into her mind. "If you'll come with me Princess, I have something to show you."

**_…_**

**_Relinquo Lacus_**

Impa stared wistfully at the clouded form of the Upworld Islands. The rushing currents of the Forsaken Lake felt unwelcoming now. Fyer lounged on the uneven deck, staring at her with a wide grin. "Back so soon, Impa?"

"Impa! It's been so long!" Another voice said. Impa hauled herself on deck and turned with a strained smile. "Hello Fabi."

Fabi smiled. His rail thin frame bended over to address her. "Has the Phoenix Leauge taken us into consideration yet?"

"No." Impa's smile faltered. "Not yet. Soon I hope."

"Oh, yes. Fyer and me could open up another franchise there. Wouldn't that be splendid?"

"Definitely." Impa nodded, squeezing her hair to rid of the water.

"Would you like to invest in our franchise, Impa? You won't regret it!" Fabi smiled, the corners of his cracked lips curling.

"I don't have time to discuss business with you right now." Impa replied. "I was hoping you could rocket me over to the Sheikah Village."

"Why?" Fyer asked. "You lookin' for a collection of fancy rocks? That place is a wasteland."

"I'm well aware of that. And you should be well aware of my hatred towards nosy people and my favorite dagger sheathed on my belt." Impa snapped.

Fyer whistled. "Hey, let's calm down. Get in the Cannon. This one's on the house."

"As it should be." Impa huffed, stepping into a smaller cot with a shaky wooden platform.

"Okay, then," Fabi called as the doors slammed shut . "Bye, bye Impa!"

Impa felt the platform tremble and the inner mechanisms of the cannon begin to whir. She lurched skyward without warning, the Forsaken lake below her was a blur of blue.

**_…_**

**_ Sheikah Desolo Villa_**

He moved stealthily, darting past the unstable levels of the steep ridge. A crossbow glinted at his side, clanking silently against his thigh.

He coiled his leg muscles and jumped, a pebble shifted and knocked against his bare toes. His hand closed around the lever jutting out of the solidified ash of the right wall.

"Come on." He whispered, putting all of his weight down. The lever did not move. His eyes widened. "Come on."

He tugged and tugged. The lever did not budge, the cold metal began to bit at his skin. He gritted his teeth together. _"Stupid Passageway._ It's me, _Sheik."_

…Nothing. A crisp wind ruffled the sweaty strips of his blond hair. "I'm sorry... for... whatever I did that you find wrong." He whispered, looking steadily at the ash wall and the barely visible outline of a door. The indent carving of a Sheikah eye sat in top, glaring back at him for his fruitless efforts.

Sheik sighed, his breath feeling hot against the cloth mask wrapped around the lower half of his face. "This used to work. You used to open for me…and Link, of course."

_Link._

If Sheikah people could feel anything, he was sure he'd be rolling over in pain right now.

The boy, no doubt a man by now if he had managed to live, had been one of the people he had truly ever loved. They grew from friends to _frères. _Brothers. And now he had gone too, sent away by that accursed Eye he had spent his whole life worshipping and following.

The lever stayed in place. He ran fingers through the wounds underneath his bandaged arm, voice sad. "You let _him_ go too. You let him go _without me_." He stared up at the sky. "I'm the only one here. The rest have gone. You can't keep me here forever, it's not right."

Silence.

Sheik let out a weary sigh again and dropped to the ground, his bare feet touching the dead soil beneath him.

It wasn't right. Not in the least. This was his home, not his prison. How could the Scarlet Eye lock him up here for so long? What had he done to deserve the scorn of the Fates?

The Sheikah's Scarlet Eye stared down at him, the red outlines looking as bloody as ever, even through the ash covering.

"What?" Sheik stared up at it. "Am I not as special as Link? Is it because I'm not like the rest of them? Because of the way I am, did you have to take all the people I loved?"

He wished he could feel tears sting his eyes, or a burden of disappointment. It never came. Sheik gritted his teeth. Most emotions he couldn't even feel, but at anger? He was a master.

He pulled away from the ridge, the _exit_ from his desolate home and stared up at the dead tree behind him. He felt the anger bubble up inside of him.

A shack was perched on the split branches, poorly made and ravaged-looking. His treehouse.

He remembered the fun times he used to have there. He remembered the _frère_ he had shared them with. He remembered the pain, the only pain he had ever felt, as he watched that friend go and leave him behind.

Cue the long suffering sigh…

Sheik dropped to the ground, reaching into his pouch for an apple. He briefly considered carving a face on the fruit to have something to vent out his frustration on but dismissed it quickly. He had lost nearly everything. He didn't need to lose his mind now.

He took a bite of it, savoring the taste before swallowing. Sweet, fresh, fulfilling…it was everything his life was not.

_A pebble fell down on the ridge…_

Sheik bit into the apple once more.

_Another pebble shifted and rolled down…_

Sheik chewed thoughtfully.

_A third pebble tumbled…_

He sprang through his feet, alarm bells ringing clear in his head. _Intruder._

The Scarlet Eye glowed brightly and even larger rocks tumbled down as the walls of the passageway began to quake.

Sheik rolled back on his heels and launched himself at the tree. He kicked the jammed door of the treehouse open, wood splintering in his wake.

The lever, the infuriating, unbelievable lever snapped from it's place and thudded to the ground. He resisted the urge to yell in happiness. The doorway, the very same one that had shut him in this sentimental hellhole of his, shook and opened.

_Opened._

Sheik's heart - he was now certain he had one- jumped and his breath caught in his throat. Was it his time? Was the Scarlet Eye really letting him go? _Was he free now?_

Just then, a sillhoutte appeared. Sheik narrowed his eyes and his hand flew to his crossbow, readying his aim.

The person stopped before the doorway, the smoke of dirt clouded their face, but Sheik could vaguely tell it was a well-built one.

The person jumped from the ledge and landed on the floor in a crouch, in their hand was an unlit bomb.

Sheik reeled back and released the arrow of his crossbow. The person caught it just before the tip touched their forehead. The dust cleared. Sheik's jaw dropped.

It was a _woman_.

One with silvery hair and bright red eyes. Eyes that locked onto him, scanning him up and down like a searchlight. She opened her mouth and spoke.

"Are you the Last Survivor?"

* * *

**VII. The Study**

**_…_**

**_Divum Palace_**

"Are you lost?" Zelda had to ask as Link led her through a maze of floors and stairs. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Your castle is far from simple. I doubt any of you can really find your way around this labyrinth."

"No." Zelda admitted. "Not quite."

He laughed, the sound of it tickling her ears in an annoyingly pleasing manner. "I would have thought so." Link turned around to face her, a sheepish look coming to his eyes. It suited him as much as his confidence. "You do know where the library is, right Princess?"

She would have liked to say yes, but in truth, the answer which stood at the tip of her tongue, had vanished at the moment. "I…can't quite remember. Perhaps the Eastern Halls."

"Very well."

..

The twisting hallways had never looked like home to Zelda. The grand columns and ivory floors felt cold and foreign.

She remembered the days, in the summer, when her mother would take her to the gardens. The only place in the castle that felt warm and welcoming…

The flowers all blushed during the spring, her beautiful mother would put roses up in her hair and they'd twirl around in a bed of daisies, petals spraying in their wake. Her laughter rang clear throughout those days, and now she could scarcely remember when she was last happy. _Truly _happy.

Blinking from her trance, Zelda continued on, her heels clicking against the hard floors.

They had taken a rather long route to get to the other side. She felt somewhat obliged to show him the few rooms she knew.

"That is Star Astronomia." She said, pointing to a grand, ebony colored pair of doors that gleamed imperiously.

A sense of nausea and misery surfaced in her chest. Link took no notice of the stricken look that passed across her face.

"Star Astronomia?" He repeated, letting the last word roll on his tongue.

Zelda nodded, her eyes misty. "It _had_ been my mother's favorite room." Link looked thrown back for a moment, but regained composure in a heartbeat. "What is it?"

"Come." She gripped the cold, dust-coated handles… the ones she had not held for years ever since her mother passed… and pushed the doors feebly. Link frowned and took the handles, the short contact they shared forced her to pull back. "I'll get it." He nodded and opened the doors with surprising ease.

They stepped forward and Link was speechless.

The floor was painted expertly with hazy purple clouds and a vivid night sky. The walls were coated in dark colors, splashed across with artistic strokes representing faded peeks of twilight. And above was a map of constellations and labeled stars, twinkling down at them.

He let out a breath. "Wow."

Zelda found her own breath had left her too. She hadn't laid eyes in this room for ages. The walls, the floor…everything about it sparked her childhood memories.

She could vividly imagine her mother standing by the blank canvas of marble around them, a paintbrush in her delicate hands. She could see her create a vision of the night sky with a flick of her wrists and a sprinkle of ink and paint.

"I've read of these." Link said, interrupting her train of thought. He pointed to a group of bright stars up above. "They did miss one though."

"The Ooccas made this room hundreds of years ago, when they say the world was reborn from a tide of chaos. They painted a map of the heavens on the ceilings. " Zelda said, childishly hoping her smart delivery of the information would impress him.

Link nodded, glancing at her sideways. He smirked amusedly. "They still missed one."

She stifled a laugh, but still giggled softly. Biting on her lip, she tried not to smile. "Which one?"

"The Huntress." He strode to the center of the room, craning his head up to squint at the ceiling. He gestured for her to follow.

"See?" He asked once she reached his side. She directed her gaze to the stars his finger pointed at. "That," Link went on, pointing at a star in the middle of the cluster, "is her belt, a crest is there. A crest that tells of all her heroic deeds."

"Ah."

"And those," he went to two noticeably brighter stars at the top, "are her eyes. Infinitely shining with wisdom from her time of watching us from the heavens.

"The line of dots that follow under make her body. You see the slender curve of her neck and her arms, which are nocking a bow. The brightest star of all at the very end is the spear tip of her arrow."

Zelda squinted her eyes, she had never been good at seeing constellations. Her mother was excellent at naming and tracing out each one. Not Zelda, though. She liked to believe her imagination was as bland as her eyes. Seeing Link from her peripheral view, she nodded.

"I can see it." She lied.

His eyes narrowed in playful suspicion, the blue of his irises had nearly blocked out the golden flecks. "It takes quite an imagination to come up with a constellation, you know. Scholars must be dreamers, in their own right."

"They sure don't show it." Zelda scoffed. He smiled again, her mother's painted stars seemed to shine more brightly at the sight of it.

**_…_**

**_Sheikah Desolo Villa_**

Hoisting the crossbow high above his head, Sheik jumped down. The woman stared at him stonily. "You are, aren't you?"

Last Survivor. Only Link had ever addressed him like that. His predestined fate was a rather lonely one.

"Yes." His voice sounded foreign and he felt a huge swell of relief upon seeing an actual person he could converse with. His tone was rough and low in comparison to the woman's clipped, precise accent.

The woman took his arrow and snapped it in half, smiling dryly. She tossed them back and looked him in the eyes. "I am the Shadow Sage. I assume your kind have heard of me."

Shadow Sage. Could it be? Was this the fate that everyone had hid from him for so long?

He remembered the Books of his Sheikah elders. He knew she wasn't lying. Often, he felt a foreboding sense whenever someone did, a foreboding sense that many claimed to be a curse rather than a gift.

And he remembered the paintings commissioned in her honor. He could remember vividly her blood-red eyes, much like the Eye itself, and silvery hair.

Standing in front of such a legend…it was an _indescribable_ feeling. He swallowed.

"We have. It is an honor to meet you Impa'Rai." Sheik bowed stiffly.

Rai was a word that meant 'honorable one' in Sheikah. He saw the woman's brow twitch at that. "Ah, it has been a long time since anyone has ever called me that. But please, refer to me as Impa if you can."

"Impa." He tested the name. "Why have you come to my _Desolo Villa?"_

Her eyes grew dark. "I need you, Sheikah. Have you heard of the Hero of Legends in your time?"

Sheik felt his insides tighten. He knew where this was going. "Yes. I have."

"I believe that he has been reborn now. Reincarnated into the savior we now need to gain back our land. In the time you've been trapped here, Sheikah, Hyrule has been stolen. The blessed land has died, and the Hero is the gods' last card to play. It is a desperate gamble, but I need your help."

"For what exactly?"

"To retrieve our own problem child. The _offspring of Ganondorf Dragmire."_

_…_

**_Scholasticus Bulla_**

"This is the Scholar's Study." Zelda said, turning slightly to face Link. They'd wordlessly decided to postpone the trip to the library, Link seemed to not care as much as before about whatever he was going to show her.

He looked bewildered as he stared at the small, simple door with a rusted doorknob and a crooked sign that said: 'Restricted Area'.

"Our scholars are a bit…peculiar."Zelda responded. "Don't stare, okay?"

"At what, Princess?" He seemed confused, then something dawned on him, causing him to frown. "At you?"

Zelda blushed. "No, why would-"

His brow rose. "You're easy on the eyes, if you don't mind my humble opinion."

She coughed, lowering her hair so he wouldn't see the redness of her cheeks. "I meant the scholars."

"Oh." A smile crossed his face, eyes sparking with mirth. "What have you got against them, exactly?"

"Nothing." Zelda said, albeit a bit too defensively. "They're just…" She trailed off, struggling for better words. Shaking her head, she unlocked the door with the key she'd been twirling around her pinky. "You'll see."

The door gave way to an eerily silent room that stretched back. Sunlight came in through open windows, dust motes twirling down. Link's eyes narrowed as he came face to face with what he could clearly describe as an 'abomination'.

It was a man. It looked like one at least. They wore a large brown cloak, with a hood currently pulled down. He had no hair on his wrinkled head , a wispy white mustache, and tired gray eyes. Link shut his mouth and squinted his eyes at the elder man. "Hello."

The man's lips were thin and pale, opening slowly as he rasped out. "Sir Link, it is an honor to meet you."

"I'm well aware of that." He nodded, taking _slight_ pleasure from the look of _slight_ annoyance that flashed in Zelda's eyes.

The man smiled, a rather gruesome and unsettling sight. "And Princess Zelda. You have grown to be so beautiful."

"Thank you Master Hejin." Zelda nodded, a strained smile on her lips. "Where are your colleagues today?"

"Ah, they are asleep. Our study of the Blue Chu Jelly was a fascinating one, yet it did take all night to record and track it's contents." Master Hejin croaked. "Olana is here though, my little prodigy. You remember her right, Princess?"

A look of disdain came to Zelda's features, her smile betrayed the fright in her eyes. "_Is_ she?"

"Oh, yes. Smart little girl, that one. I remember when you used to play together."

"_I_ remember them too well." A voice said, behind a shelf. A young woman stepped forward, Link noted Zelda's drumming of her fingers against her thigh. She seemed nervous.

The young woman was tall and lean, her simple yet elegant purple dress clinging to her curves like second skin. She had long braided jet-black hair that swayed with each confident step she took. Her eyes were sharp and inquisitive, the color of hard bronze. A cold smile played on her lips. "Hello, Princess."

"Olana." Zelda swallowed, clenching her fists to her sides.

"I'm Link." Link introduced himself, smiling courteously. Olana's eyes glided to him, seeming unimpressed. Well _that_ was new.

"Sir Link. What a pleasure." She bowed and cocked her head to them, her question sounding like a badly disguised accusation. "What brings you two here? Need to get away from your father's prying eyes to have some time alone?"

Zelda's cheeks reddened and she saw Link grin out of the corner of her eyes. "What? No- I…" She cleared her throat to stop the stumbling of her words. "Um, I was just taking Sir Link on a tour."

"I'm hoping you know where the library is." Link asked.

"Third floor. You don't visit the reading room much, do you Princess?" Olana smirked, quickly switching over the conversation. "What a shame."

"I've been too… busy." Zelda hissed through a grin.

"But of course. All those balls to attend to, gowns to fit, thrones to sit in…my gods, you lead a _very_ hard life, Princess." Olana sneered, her brows arching high.

Color bloomed on Zelda's cheeks. "I'd watch your mouth, Scholar. You live in _my_ palace and I'd be far from sorry if I ever had to kick you out."

Olana's eyes flashed murderously but she stepped back. Master Hejin grabbed her wrists and smiled at Zelda. "Apologies, Princess. It seems Olana is still rather moody from sleep deprivation." He pushed his glasses up his nose and chuckled nervously. "You two were on your way to the library, were you not?"

"Ah, yes, we were." Link shot Zelda a strange, unreadable look. "We should leave Princess."

…

**_Regia Caeli_**

The library was as big as it was prestigious. Link struggled to keep his expression neutral. For the love of Din, this had been the _second_ time he'd been impressed.

The Princess frowned at the never-ending shelves stuffed with a century's worth of literature. A distant look came to her eyes, one he had seen on her earlier at the Star Astronomia.

Obviously, the place held memories for her.

She glided with exceptional grace, leading him through the giant arches overhead and into a corner of the library. "Come." She called.

She stopped before a large painted sign covered in immaculate glass. The glare of the sun on it's sleek surface made Link squint his eyes. "This shows you what books are held in which aisle." She turned to him, her serene yet calculating eyes aimed at his with suspicion. "What exactly are you looking for?"

Link tapped his chin as he leaned forward, oblivious to their close proximity. "Hm," his eyes scrolled down the list while Zelda shifted to her right, looking slightly unnerved.

"Ah." Link's eyes lit up as he pointed to a row of elegant scribbles. "They've placed it in…Aisle _hoil esti."_

Zelda struggled to translate the number in her modern language. "Ah, thirty-five…?"

He smirked softly. "Thirty-eight, actually."

Looking sheepish, Zelda nodded. "Lead the way then."

"Gladly." He stepped forward, strolling through the maze of shelves with his jaw firmly shut. He would _not _be intimidated.

**_.._**

He ran a finger across the spine of books, humming softly. It was a lively tune, barely audible. She wouldn't have been able to hear it if she had not been standing so unbearably close to him.

Zelda watched as his finger stopped and tapped a book's spine. _The Study of the Downworld_, a rather gigantic, hardcover, bold red book with such audaciously fancy script that her brain had hurt when she had been trying to read it years ago.

Her mother had been outraged to find her little daughter reading it, snatching it away and claiming the author: Lord Byrenonn to be narrow-minded, vain, ignorant, and shallow.

She felt ashamed as Link's eyes widened slightly, a frown pulling on his brows. "Found it." He muttered.

He pulled it out, dust sprayed in the air as he did so. Zelda coughed, fanning the pesky particles away. "Are you sure that's the book you were looking for?"

He grinned roguishly; her heart did a strange jerk. "Positive. It's time to set some things straight."

They sat near the open windows, Link laid the book on his lap and slid into the stuffed leather chair across next to her. She sat upright, posture stiff and shoulders squared. He slouched in his own seat, the picture of carelessness, one that clashed with the title she represented.

He turned to her, the sunlight entering with a vengeance and making the golden rings of his exquisitely colored eyes glow harshly. "This book has been written by an Upworlder noble, is that right?"

"Yes." She nodded.

He smirked while fingering the book with a murmur. "Well, this should be good." He opened it slowly, turning to the first page. "Ahem."

**_…_**

It had been hours and they were still hunched over _The Study of the Downworld_. Zelda was entertained well enough to stay dutifully and listen to Link preach about the inaccuracy of the book.

He had started off seriously, rewriting all she knew of Downworlder history and defying her solid belief of their barbaric ways. He had revealed all aspects of his culture to her with an air of pride, a smile touching his lips as he told her of his hometown, Kokiritte.

"Kokiritte is…" He paused, looking thoughtful. "Well I can't put it into words …it's really something else. The streets are simple in comparison to yours, wildflowers blooming on humble gardens next to cozy houses…"

Zelda couldn't imagine such a place. Here in the Castle, the gardens were elaborate and neat. The walls and interior seemed to be built for display, not comfort.

"I lived with the local blacksmith, Benny. The biggest man with in the village with an even bigger heart. He found me in the forests near, swinging my sword carelessly and almost decapitating him. Needless to say, he was impressed. He took me in, under his wing."

Zelda frowned. "He found you in the forests? What were you doing out there?"

His eyes darkened gradually and a distant look came to him. "It's a long story I'd rather not go into, Princess."

She bit her lip, feeling ashamed for asking. "Of course."

He nodded. "Moving on then."

He seemed to be rather irked by Lord Byrennon's perception of the Downworlders' Appearance. The section of the book that was dedicated to the topic was a page long:

_Barbarians in appearance, and animals in mind, you can imagine that Downworlders aren't exactly the most appealing of creatures._

_The average woman is built largely of fats that keep their temperature warm during cold seasons. They mate carelessly, reproducing numerous offsprings to several men as they do not believe in matrimony or purity of the soul. With women as promiscuous as these, the Downworlder population is a large and steadily growing one._

"First things first," Link said, looking up from the book to study her face, "the women of the Downworld look nothing like what the book mentions. They are humans, they resemble you Upworlders _greatly_. But I have to say…" A sly smile came to his lips and he raised his brow at her. "…I've never seen one as beautiful as _you,_ Princess."

She blushed at the comment, her heart hammered loudly in her chest as she choked out a nervous giggle. "That I find debatable. I've never seen another Downworlding female creature." She paused. "Do they... protect their virtue as much as we do here?" She was oblivious to Link's frown at her choice of words.

"I don't blame you for letting _that_ thought roll off your tongue.." He had propped the book on his lap, smiling with false sincerity. "I mean, you Upworlders are such high and mighty people, are you not?"

She narrowed her eyes. Compliments and insults were never straight with him. A slight pang of disappointment hit her heart, followed with the tiniest sense of guilt. "If you've dragged me here to insult me, I'm leaving."

She gathered her skirt and uncrossed her legs.

"Wait." He had leaned back on the chair, his head sinking in the leather as he grimaced tightly. "I'm sorry. That was out of my place to say that of you, Princess."

She nodded tightly.

He continued after a suitable silence. Link told her of the forests he explored. How big. How vast. Free and wild. As he spoke, his eyes attained a feverish sparkle and a smile came to his lips.

She imagined how it would look. Did such a place truly exist? One without roads and borders? One with no walls to cage her in?

How far could the eye see in such a place? Did flowers bloom in forests? Did birds fly in flocks above in the sky?

She bit her lip to keep from asking. If she kept this up, she might even end up actually _wanting_ to go to the Downworld.

* * *

Hm, Sheik is going to be important. Don't forget about that 'someone' Link is trying to get back from the Underworld. Someone important in his life.

Review! Oh, and tell me if I wrote Sheik right, his personality is a bit... mysterious and solemn in the game, don't you think?

Gonna go cram for a test now!

**Review!**

_-HVM_


	5. Histories

The_ Italic Bold_ words are written in Latin, in case you were wondering.

Recurring languages will be here. French will probably come next, only cause I'm taking classes on it. :P

:: :: :: ::

5.2.11- This chapter features Damien, remember him? Well, you better. ;P

Sorry for the delay. This chapter is especially long. I can only hope you'll make it though alive...

-**_Priscus means 'Ancient'. (According to Google Translate that is...)_**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda franchise.**

* * *

_-Progenies- _

The Descent

* * *

**VII. The Past, the Captive, and the Demon**

_**...**_

Aula

Rauru had come the next day. Link grinned as he watched him hobble his way into the hall, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Ru!"

The old man turned and smiled crookedly, a touch of surprise making his eyebrows scrunch together. "Goddesses, my leg hurts. You think the King will mind?"

"What? Your walk? You're so old, they'll barely notice." He laughed.

"Master Rauru." A young man had appeared from a small wooden door Link had never noticed. He was tall, perhaps a few inches shorter than he, with dark eyes and brown hair. The young man glared angrily at Link, the familiar furious expression he wore made the name pop up in his mind.

"Riley. That is your name, right?"

"It is. Can't say I'm too happy you remembered." The servant scowled. Rauru cracked a dry smile. Link had stayed for two nights, and he had already made an enemy of someone. Honestly, sometimes he just didn't get that boy.

"Rather odd. I usually get a different reaction from the ladies." Link smirked.

The servant boy, Riley, directed his attention on Rauru's limp, determined not to let Link get the satisfaction of seeing him vexed. "Master Rauru! I can send for the nurses to your suite, if you'd like."

"That'd be nice." Rauru nodded.

"Female nurses. Rauru prefers them female." Link looked thoughtful for a moment. "And pretty."

Rauru chuckled, elbowing him rather hard in the side. "Always a joker, Link."

"I try." He shrugged in response.

Rauru attempted to take a step, stumbling as his knees shook. Link held him by the shoulders, frowning. "Gods, Rauru. What happened?"

"Sire," Riley cut in, looking concerned, "Perhaps we should send you over to the infirmary. Your leg looks swollen."

"Aye, it is." Rauru said gravely. "The peasant villagers could not afford the right ointment to treat it. They did try though."

"Maybe Impa can set the bones." Link grinned jokingly.

Rauru snorted. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged." Link said, imitating Impa's carefully blank face and dangerously low voice.

"Sir Rauru can come with me to the infirmary. Sir Link," Riley scowled as he looked at the blonde in distaste, "the King requests your presence at the courtyard."

He raised a brow, but decided against asking why, for he knew Rauru would scold him if he tried to irritate the servant further which he was formerly planning to do.

" Bye 'Ru. Hope the nurses 'round here can help you." Link saluted teasingly before disappearing down the hallway.

* * *

**_…_**

**_Decatur_**

The King looked up from the patches of trimmed grass underneath the soles of his expensive shoes.

"Majesty." The Hero stood behind him, looking out of place in the carefully decorated gardens with his slightly wrinkled tunic and ruffled hair.

"Ah, He-" the King stopped short, as if his words had cought themselves halfway through his throat. " Sir Link! How's the castle been treating you, lad?"

The Hero nodded slowly, his stormy eyes glinting with an unreadable expression. "Well enough."

"Good." The King spared him an apologetic look, " I suppouse you're wondering why I've called you here."

"I'd be lying if I said I knew." The Hero shrugged in a careless manner, not looking a bit unnerved by the prestige the King simply oozed of. "Have I… done something?"

"No." The King shook his head, smiling kindly, yet wishing inside that the Hero would somehow address him like a commoner would. With respect and a tinge of nervousness. "I was merely checking to whether or not the staff did not… act up."

The Hero's face darkened imperceptibly, the King's throat tightened immediately, the foreign anxious feeling welling up in his chest again like an unwelcome flu. "Have they?"

"No." The Hero flexed his fingers, gloves covering the blessed mark the King knew he had. Just as quickly as he replied, he asked. _ "_I have a question for you, Majesty."

"And what is that?" The King's eyes darted from his hand and he raised a brow.

"What exactly do you need from me?"

A nervous smile crossed the King's face, the lines of his features becoming more pronounced at the agitation taking over him, and he turned to stare at the clouds that swirled above his own Sky City. It comforted him to know that Hyrule shared the same view.

"You will know in time." The King wished he were more like Rauru with him mystical words. He knew he sounded more stiff than mysterious.

"I'm not a mercenary." The Hero spoke up suddenly, a tightness lacing in his voice.

The King frowned, bringing his gaze down again. "Pardon?"

"…If it's a secret assassination, poisoning… you may as well find another. I don't kill."

"I'm well aware of that." It was a lie. He wasn't. After all, weren't swords made exactly for killing?

A pause. "Good."

"Still," the King said thoughtfully, unable to keep his thoughts to himself, "I would have thought you wouldn't have minded. From what I hear, you're a very famous hero, Sir Link. One would think that killing-"

"It doesn't make you a hero." His voice became low and impatient. The King shifted in his position, swallowing slightly. This was absurd. If he could somehow go back in time and see how nervous he looked…he'd be wincing in embarrassment.

He was a King. And Kings do not get nervous or work to impress anyone. Not even the…

…_The Hero of Time._

The same boy –man- who had saved Hyrule countless times was back… and was standing right by him. He had a right to be a bit overwhelmed, surely.

"I was wondering, actually," The King fidgeted in his spot, opting for a change of topic to keep from further upsetting Link, "how my daughter had fared with your presence. She isn't quite used to-"

_"Outsiders." T_he Hero cut in coolly. "I'm the first one, I hear. I'd say it's an honor but I'd take the first flying capsule home, if I could right now."

"Home?"

_Oh, boy. The King thought to himself. "_This palace is your home now, Sir Link."

"Only for as long as you need me."

The King smiled knowingly. "I can assure you, it'll be an awfully long time."

The Hero raised a brow at that, but the King did not fret. The sign on his hand guaranteed that the future would be brighter.

* * *

**_…_**

**_Profanus Consenesco_**

Riley trudged to the infirmary, Rauru's arm draped over his neck to help support the old man. Deeyana stood on one corner of the room, stacking potions on shelves and writing down their contents.

"Dee." Riley called to her, voice tired. Sir Rauru was rather heavy. "Dee, over here."

Deeyana spun around. "Oh, Riley!" A smile crossed her face. Then she noticed Rauru and her eyes darkened. "Is that Sir-"

"Yes. It's his leg." Riley helped Rauru to a nearby bed that was placed along the grey walls.

"I apologize we had to bring you here, sir. The common infirmary was the only place available, the upper floor is being used by the scholars at the moment."

"It's fine." Rauru grunted.

Riley turned to Deeyana for a moment, brow raised. "I never knew you were a nurse."

Deeyana blushed. "That's because I'm not. I'm just arranging the room."

"I'll take care of this." A feminine voice answered from an open door behind the curtains pulled over the potion shelves.

"Princess!" Deeyana yelped, busying herself with a bow. "Your Highness, I…" She gulped. "I finished the room."

Zelda nodded. "You are dismissed."

"Oh." Deeyana's face fell for a moment and she eyed Riley with a shy smile. "I'll see you later, then." Riley blinked as she fled from the infirmary, shutting the door loudly behind her.

"Rauru!" Zelda cried, a smile lighting up the contours of her face. Riley pinched himself.

The princess embraced the older man who laughed and stroked her hair in a fatherly manner. _"Doste Zelda, veire hisel petqi zet."_

Riley raised a brow. Zelda pulled back, a quizzical look in her eyes. Rauru smiled knowingly.

"Why are you speaking Ancient Hylian? I never knew that you took classes in the palace as well."

"Link taught me a few handy phrases during my time in the Downworld."

"Oh." Zelda nodded slowly, blinking. Riley tightened his hands into fists. _That little…_

"I heard," Rauru chuckled. "That he spoke in the Ancient tongue in your first meeting. And apparently only you and him could understand the meaning of the words."

"Well…" A blush adorned her cheeks. "Nobody _else _knew how to speak it. So naturally I had to talk to him for my father and naturally he…er, replied."

"Hah!" Rauru gasped. "By the looks on your face, he replied quite well."

"I.." Zelda stuttered, then blurted out in slight exasperation. "Don't change the subject, Ru!"

_Ru? _Riley thought._That's what Link called him._

"Oh humor this old timer, will you? What'd he say?" An eager light came to Rauru's eyes, adding a look of youth to his aged features.

"Well…" Zelda fidgeted and Riley's nails bit into his palm, drawing blood.

_He probably said something dirty. _He thought to himself._That little sneak!_

"He called me beautiful. Nothing big." Zelda shrugged, her blush contradicting the ease in her voice. Riley clamped down on his lower lip to keep from screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Yes, that sounds like Link." Rauru laughed; a deep rich sound that seemed to emerge from his plump belly.

"It's your right leg, right?" Zelda asked, expertly uncorking a bottle of green potion and dipping a cotton swab in it.

Rauru nodded, leaning back to rest his head on the walls. "Some people have all the luck. Some don't."

Riley stalked off to the corner, knowing fully well Zelda wouldn't be too bothered by his absence, a fact that irked him to no end. No. Perhaps what had irked him was that infuriating Outsider who had managed to gain the merciful Princess Zelda's good graces so quickly while it had taken him years to get on a first-name basis with her. "_I know." _He mumbled to himself.

* * *

**_…_**

**_Priscus Hyrule_**

**_`Past Lives`_**

_The Hero of Time ducked swiftly as a party of needles embedded themselves on the trunk of an evergreen tree, whizzing past his startled face and neatly cutting through a tiny tuft of the sweaty strips of hair hanging in front of his eyes. He let out a ragged breath, jumping to the balls of his feet and swiftly cutting up through air, slicing a deftly thrown spear in half._

_"Hell." He hissed under his breath, unable to mouth off more of his vast vocabulary of obscenities. "Where are you, Sheikah?"_

_"Where's the fun in telling?" The dark voice taunted from the shade of the trees._

_Narrowing his eyes, Link jumped up, scaling the tree nearby, hands easily reaching long branches and eyes scanning the premises for his target._

_"Looks like you're getting pretty rusty, Sheik." He grinned as he leapt towards a bush that shook imperceptibly._

_He felt something clash with the shield strapped to his back and jerked his elbow back, effectively knocking against the Sheikah's jaw. Link rolled and crouched, laughing in victory as his opponent tumbled back._

_Sheik moaned, struggling to sit right and rubbing his wounded face. "Gods, Hero, you play rough."_

_Link chuckled, standing straight to sheath his sword. "Can't really say the same for you."_

_"Hah, hah." Blood red-eyes glinted in dark amusement. "I assume you go relatively easy on Her Highness."_

_"Of course I do," Link shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "She's a…priority."_

_"Mhm." The Sheikah grinned over the mask wrapped around his face, staggering to his feet. "I think you've caused me enough bodily damage for today, don't you?"_

_"Methinks someone's afraid of the Hero of Time." Link sang, his eyes taunting._

_"Not today, Link. Not today." Sheik shook his head somberly._

_Link laughed, grasping his sword in his sweaty grip and sheathing it with timeless grace. "You know, we may be frères, but your flippancy seems to wearing off on me."_

"_Really?" Sheik smirked as they trudged along the courtyard, maneuvering carelessly through a maze of shrubbery. "Enlighten me, please."_

_"Well since you said please…" Link teased as he put on a pensive face, clashing with the mirth in his eyes, "I took Malon to the Starlight Gala a few nights ago…"_

_Sheik frowned suddenly. The Starlight Gala was an occasion dedicated to the Goddess of Love Nayru, a dance for all lovers to partake in together. The night where most would often pop out rings and ask the question that embodied the spirit of the holiday in general. 'Will you marry me?' Shiek was glad he missed it, but now, he wished he had been there to reprove his friend's foolish actions. "You took Malon? Why didn't you tell me?"_

_Link shrugged. "Eh, you were off gallivanting through Termina at the time. And it isn't that important." Link shook his head. "Anyway, you know how she's always pressing me to learn courtly manners and all that baloney? Well, let's just say that me…and the gala in general, was a bit of a disappointment to her…and Zelda, I think."_

_"You think?" Sheik repeated, looking incredulous and suppressing the urge to smack the impossibly oblivious Hero in the back of his dense head. _

_"I wasn't exactly a, er, dashing gentleman. Now I didn't do anything sick if that's what you're thinking, just the usual. You know, reaching across the table, not sliding the chair open for the lady, and I didn't ask her to dance…"_

_"Malon or Zelda?"_

_"Malon, of course." Link replied, looking amused and a bit bewildered. "Zelda was off with some foppish Duke from Ramalia."_

_Sheik gritted his teeth and grinded out the words. "Continue…"_

_"So, in a nutshell, they both hate my guts. Malon for ruining possibly the biggest event in her life and Zelda for…well, I'm not sure why she's_ _mad at me…maybe 'cause I made a bad impression on the courtiers."_

_"Link." Sheik sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "You're an idiot."_

_"Hey!" Link defended. "It's not my fault women are so complex!"_

_"They're not!" Sheik nearly tore out tufts of his hair in frustration. "You just…you..." He sighed, groping for simple words to express the agitation he felt." Go apologize to Zelda. Now."_

_"For what?" Link stammered, looking irked, which in turn annoyed Sheik even more. Curse his confounded pride. "So I ruined her party, big deal. She never really like attending those stuffy balls with those arrogant nobles flitting around her like bees drawn to honey."_

_'You're wrong.' Sheik thought, wishing he could say these words out loud but knowing fully well his princess would kill him if he did. 'You should have seen her at the banquet held for her birthday last year. I had not seen such a silly, lovestruck smile on her face until that day when her arm was in yours. I had not seen such absurd happiness in her eyes till you asked her to dance and twirled her round and round the entire night.'_

_Sheik had seen Princess Zelda in her official chambers earlier, rifling through papers angrily with bloodshot eyes and flushed cheeks contrasting to her paleness. He knew that she had probably cried herself to sleep that night. But he did not know the reason why…until now. The Sheikah glanced at his friend who looked lost and confused as always whenever it came to women._

_The Gala had obviously meant a lot to her Highness. Even though Link, of all people, was unaware that nearly half the country was expecting him to finally propose to her, he hadn't even asked to be her escort._

_"Link, you messed up real bad this time." Sheik nearly glowered. "Get up there. And apologize. Now."_

_Link crossed his arms, annoyance darting over his handsome features like an unwelcome storm, adding a foggy touch to his blue eyes. "I regret telling you now."_

_"Well, you'll regret not apologizing to Zelda when she decides to hate you and kick you out from her life forever."_

_The Hero scowled. He had obviously hit a nerve_. "That's not funny, Sheik."

_"It wasn't supposed to be." Sheik replied in a solemn tone that quashed the flames of anger beginning to build inside the Hero. "I am just…saying. The Sheikah are diligent keepers of the legend. And there will come a day when you cannot be there for her. And when that day comes, I want her to know that you____at the very least tried. I want her to know that you care. I want her to know that even if she cannot feel your protection physically, she will forever be in your mind, your heart…"_

_The Hero frowned, his jaw opening slightly. "What…?"_

_"Promise me, Link. Promise me on our oath to be frères, that while she is still here, you will cherish and care for her. Promise me."_

_"I…I promise."_

* * *

**_..._**

**_Regia Hyrule - Downworld_**

Damien considered himself to be a fairly patient man. Perhaps his time with mindless moblins and inept minions had forced him to accept humans for what they were. Idiots.

He sat on the throne of Hyrule, tapping on the golden armrests while staring at the admiringly paintings on the ceiling, depicting his marvelous self. There was one of him sitting atop his ebony stallion with the limp bodies of those foolhardy soldiers from Labrynna, their limbs scattered underneath the hooves of his steed. He remembered that battle. A hundred years ago, Prince Ralph came to Hyrule to negotiate a treaty between the two countries and had brought his wife with him. Damien, lusting after her, killed the prince and took his wife. Outraged, the King of Labrynna sent a hundred thousand men to avenge his fallen son, all of which had died in the hands of Damien's monstrous army.

Damien smiled to himself. _Ah, memories…_

"Sire!"

The smile vanished as a beer-bellied squire burst through the doors of his throne room, looking flushed and out of breath. "We…" The squire heaved in air as he coughed out his message. "We…have captured her, sire."

Damien grinned brightly, his wind-chaffed lips cracking as his mouth stretched. "Excellent. Bring her in."

"Right away, sire." The squire turned sharply on his heel and fled from his sight, the door shutting closed.

Damien folded his hands together, lifting his square jaw upon the long scarred fingers. He felt the cold smooth edges of a ring press into his stuble and gritted his teeth. _That ring…_

Had he been a stronger man he would have taken that accursed object and fed it to the roaring forces of the several villages he had pillaged. He fisted his burnt hand, shaking it, feeling the icy circular edges rub against his rough-skinned throat as his heart beat louder upon the stream of memories the ring sparked. _Had he been a stronger man…_

The door opened again, more slowly this time, and the heavy rustling of chains sang in Damien's ears like music. He felt a grin blossom on his face and he let out a smoky breath upon seeing his captive. He was in awe of her.

He had not seen a Zora for a hundred years, for most of the race had been wiped out mercilessly by his men, and seeing one now…he was struck. He had heard that Zoras were a rather beautiful breed, they lived past the normal Hylian and he could tell that this one lived well past that of the Zora's. She was timeless, ageless…like him.

She was…

"Ruto, the Water Sage." The words fell from his mouth like liquid. Ironic, really.

The Zora's limp form straightened with a gracefulness that stole his breath. Her icy blue eyes pierced his and her dainty features were set in a scowl. Her form was lithe and willowy, like a swimmer's body, with fins that rippled out of her elbows as she snarled. "You…"

She was pretty. Not nearly as pretty as Mar-

He stopped himself. "How does it feel, Milady? To be brought to your knees in the face of the man who killed your people?"

The woman gasped sharply and she leapt for him, soon falling to her knees as the metal cuffs tore at her wrists and kept her at bay. _Like an animal. _Damien smiled at the thought_._

She shouted in frustration, her eyes tight with an anger that would normally vex a weaker man. But it brought Damien amusement. How he loved toying with them..

"You! To think that anyone else could have stooped this low!" The Zora spat on the marble tiles of his palace, baring her teeth ferociously. "He will destroy you! Destroy you and your kingdom of evil!"

Damien felt a surge of fury. "Know your place, Zora _Princess. _He is long dead, and he will never come back."

Ruto dres herself upright, gazing at the paintings he had previously admired with immense distaste. "I see you have not commissioned a painting of his defeat. Perhaps because it has never come?" She turned her eyes on him, eyes glinting knowingly. "You've tried so hard to capture him, time by time, you've failed. _Just. Like. Ganondorf."_

Damien lunged for her, cuffing her cheek with the back of his hand, feeling a sick satisfaction stir within his chest when she jerked away in pain. Tears splattered on the floor and even the guards holding Ruto winced as they watched their self-proclaimed King tower over her trembling form, eyes alight with hunger and madness. "He is dead! He will be dead! All of you…_dead!"_

"Why are you doing this? Why?" Ruto cried, tears dripping down her pale skin. Her chin trembled. "What has he done to you?"

Damien felt the ring's cool edges suddenly vibrate with heat, scalding hot. "He…" He hissed, the muscles in his throat working as his heart hammered against his heaving chest. "He took everything from me. And the time has come for me to take it all back." He turned his gaze to the back of his hand, where a blackened spot stretched across. This is where his Triforce of Power would go…This is where his rightful possession would mark itself…

He turned his gaze to his sheathed Blade of Inferno, feeling its power drum against his veins. And this…is where the Hero of Time's blood would go, dripping to the ground of this very land, ridding the world of hope and light.

* * *

Ah, Damien. You poor misunderstood sap, you. :P

**_Review!_**

-HVM


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note -Please Read-

..

Words to Know:

**Hira-shuriken:_ (Japanese) Famously dubbed in the 'West' as "Ninja Stars"_**

**Kaiken: ****_(Japanese) Daggers usually carried by the men and women of the Samurai status in Ancient Japan._**

**_(...)_**

**We get back to Sheik & Impa...as well as Link's, er, plans. Remember the incident in Mercus' Map Emporium? Well, you better. :)**

**-**_HVM_

_::  
Please go check out my new three-shot "Masks of Vanity"... _

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.**

* * *

**_-Progenies-_**

**The Descent**

* * *

**VIII. The First Awakening Force**

**...**

_**Regia Portis**_

Link played with the ends of the heavy cloak, eyeing the dark blue clasp that circled his collar. Marielle stood, waiting in the doorway, her gaze fixed on him, unmoving like a statue "His Majesty will not be pleased upon hearing word of your unescorted leave, Sire."

He bit his tongue, forcing harsh words back into his throat for the sake of appearances. After all, that was what the Upworld seemed to be all about. Appearances. "I know."

"Hmph." Marielle studied him with a calculating look that would have perhaps rivaled that of Zelda's. "Where are you going?"

"A walk." He answered vaguely, letting the fabric of the cloak slip from his hands, fluttering to the ground shyly, vanishing in a pool of darkness. He walked out the open doorways of the hall.

"You haven't answered my question, Sire." Marielle called out to him, her voice hushed but accusing.

Link turned back to her, allowing a reassuring smile –though he was quite sure it seemed more like a smirk- to grace his features. "I won't hurt him."

He saw her shoulders slump forward in what could be identified as relief, but her eyes glittered angrily. "What are you saying…Sir Link?"

"I won't hurt him." He repeated, letting the words fall from his mouth in the most gentle tone he could muster. "I just need that map."

"Why?" Marielle prodded on. "Why is it so important to you, Sire?"

Link turned away from her with long deliberate steps increasing the distance between him and the palace entrance. The moonlight bathed the courtyard greenery in a sliver mist, swaddling his form in a surreal manner. He fixed his gaze on the shimmering stars above as he walked underneath an intricate marquee of leaves lining the path to the exit. "Because with it…_I can bring her back."_

* * *

**_..._**

**_Mercus' Taberna_**

Castor slept fretfully that night, his father's moaning cries seeped through the paper-thin walls, calling for relief, calling for a past due demise. He sunk into the mattress, his head tossed back as dreams ravaged his troubled mind.

_Oh, he could see her. See her smile. Her laugh. Her twinkling eyes and beckoning fingers…_

He turned to his side, restless, the bones of his ribcage pressing against twisted sheets. "Marielle…"

_Green eyes dominated the structure of his mind, reaching into his soul and speeding the pace of his heart. She danced in a field of sunlight, laughing as he chased her down the gardens, picking her up with his strong arms and smiling down at her._  
_  
How he wished he was a better, more-deserving man… How he wished she could have seen more in him than he could of himself…How he wished he had never let her go…How he wished she had truly loved him, how all her promises weren't just careless lies…_

_He saw her, dining in the fine luxuries of the palace, her smile glittering underneath a canopy of shining chandeliers. He saw her dressed in a gown that rivaled her former Sunday best, dancing in the arms of that Outsider._

_He felt pain hollow out the chambers of his dying heart. Was he that pathetic, that he had lost her to an _Outsider…?

_He marched to them in a clumsy stride, clothes hanging limply off his rail-thin frame and eyes dark with anger. "Get away from her!"_

_The Outsider directed his gaze to him, the gold of his eyes searing the challenger's will. The ghostly echo of a sword rang through the corridors of the ballroom and Castor stopped, catching his breath. He opened his mouth again, calling out to his heart's desire._

_"Marielle, come ba-"_

CRASH!

Castor jumped up, the sound jarring through his dream. "What?"A screech erupted from the room across from his. "Castor! Castor, no!"

"Papa!" He got to his feet and headed for his father's sleeping chamber, nearly running through the door. He was his father, safe and sound in bed underneath a dull, faded quilt. His eyes were glazed but wide with fear. "Castor, my life…it's…."

Castor frowned, but an all-too-sudden realization nearly knocked him off his feet. "Papa!"

His father gasped, bony fingers clutching at his chest. "Stop…thief!"

The map!

Castor let out a growl of disbelief as he dashed down the creaking stairs. "Please, oh please…"

The store looked undisturbed, save for the glass shelves that were broken into tiny fragments, shards lying on the ground like the bodies of fallen soldiers.

"No…"

He looked closer at the shelf and let out a moan of horror and disbelief.

His father's anguished cry sounded distant over the pumps of blood booming in his ears.

The Map of Death's Kingdom was gone.

* * *

...

**-Downworld-**

**_Mountain Town_**

Impa was a very complex woman.

Sheik had plenty of time to assess this not-so-new bit of information as she expertly withdrew a _kaiken _lunging for the snakes that slithered their way through the panicked town. People let out anguished cries, looking imploringly at the Shadow sage with something akin to desperation.

Sheik, feeling their gazes take a toll on him, followed after her, mirroring her fluent movements as they weaved in and out of the stampeding crowds, all shoving and pushing to further their chances of escaping with minimum injury.

"Sheik, to your left!"

Sheik did not need to hear the warning from Impa, already lashing out at a trio of vicious serpents that had launched themselves near his face. He reached into the folds of his Sheikah guise, pulling out a _hira-shuriken_ that twinkled dangerously inbetween his fingers. He let the steel-lined stars fly, cutting a precise line through the each of their open mouth and pinning it to them ground, suffused in blood and venom.

Impa sent her sword through several of the vile reptiles and killing a more than fair amount of them. Sensing the fruitlessness of their hunt, the surviving retreated with admirable speed to the rocky slopes far beyond.

The villagers cheered at their victory, many greeting Impa with big smiles and vigorous handshakes.

"That was some mighty fine fight you showcased out there, Goro-Impa." Sheik turned, and found a horrific sight smiling down at him. Startled, he whipped out another fresh batch of _hira-shuriken_, but before he could land them in his confused opponent's vulnerable person, a cold hand stopped him, gripping his bandaged wrists firmly.

"Sheik." Impa said, in a cold, detached tone. "Be polite."

Sheik swallowed, feeling undeniably sick as he stared at the…_thing._

Huge, lumbering body painted in various splashed of mingling orange and red. Beady black eyes, empty as Pit itself stared down at him, void of life and warmth. Rocks plastered to his hunched spine, cracked and dry. He towered over Sheik, his presence exuding intense waves of heat. "Hello, Goro." The rock monster grinned. "What is your name?"

Sheik glared back, unblinkingly, determined not to let the incoming tides of fear at this strange creature show. A growl ripped at his throat, menacing and tight.

The rock monster frowned, stepping back and glancing at Impa questioningly. "…Goro-Impa, you know him?"

"Yes I do." The Shadow Sage smiled sourly, nodding at the monster with something akin to respect. "How do you do, Gor Coron?"

The monster puffed his chest, glancing warily and a bit nervously at Sheik's _hira-shuriken. _"My health is impeccable. But trade is suffering."

Impa's eyes softened. "Unfortunate."

"Yes." The monster, Gor Coron, bowed his head somberly. "Damien's rule has deprived Hyrule of any future." He turned to Impa, the biegginings of a smile cracking his rough face. "I assume the Resistance will be ready to fix that."

Impa stiffened, releasing her hold on Sheik and glaring daggers at Gor Coron. "Not so loudly!"

Gor Coron laughed, a booming and nearly earth-shaking sound that thundered down the ground beneath Sheik's feet. "Oh come now, Impa! Don't be so paranoid. This is a friendly town, and a good portion of the people are Resistance agents."

"While some are Damien's lackeys…." Impa muttered, jabbing finger into the monster's chest. "Be careful with your words, Gor Coron."

Sheik fumed on the spot, not taking lightly to being ignored, especially by another fellow Sheikah. "Who is he?" He pointed accusingly at Gor Coron, teeth bared. "Why can't I kill him?"

"You are a violent young'un, Goro." Gor Coron remarked dryly, staring down at Sheik with amusement.

Sheik growled again, the _hira-shuriken_ seeming to draw light from his anger and glittering in the garish sunlight viciously. "I am not Goro; my name is _Sheik."_

Gor Coron appeared confused. "Oh…sorry Goro-Sheik."

"No! I am not Goro-Sheik!" The young Sheikah fumed while the Shadow Sage snickered behind his back.

"Your name is not Sheik, then?" Gor Coron asked.

Sheik sucked in a deep breath through gritted, teeth, chest heaving. How dumb was this rock? Between two days of little food and no sleep, between two days of traveling with a walking statue who couldn't give a damn about his draining health and energy, between two days of walking around noisy, crowded, infested towns with strange humans and pesky dogs…Sheik had finally decided that it was quite _enough._

_Enough._

"You bumbling oaf! I _am _Sheik! Sheik, not Goro, just Sheik!"

Impa's hand snapped up to catch his as he prepared to let the _hira-shuriken_ fly to plunge itself on the throat of his next victim. "Sheik. In all honesty…you make a very bad Sheikah."

"I don't care." He hissed darkly, finally mustering the will to ignore the legacy of Impa's wrath and try to kill the insufferable idiot before him. Impa jerked his arm back once more, forcing an amiable smile to the rock monster. "Good bye, Gor Coron. We are on our way to the Forsaken Village. Has Rauru written to you yet? Is he here?"

"Ah, apparently Rauru cannot make it." Gor Coron replied, still staring anxiously at the seething young man struggling to free himself from Impa's iron grasp.

Impa let out a long-suffering sigh. "And why not?"

"He injured his leg and it is being treated." Gor Coron tapped on his rounded chin, looking oddly thoughtful. "A Hylian wrote back to me; saying they are taking good care of him in the Upworld Palace. Rauru is being taken care of by pretty female nurses, apparently."

"Is that so?" Impa smirked. "Who wrote this letter, hm?"

"I do believe," Gor Coron nodded with distant eyes, trying to recall, "his name was…Link."

Sheik's jaw dropped and the _hira-shuriken_ dropped to the ground, useless and bringing Gor Coron slight relief. "Link…?"

* * *

...

**-Upworld-**

_**Regia Cubiculum**_

Zelda lifted the glass flute close to her lips, parting them gently to let the liquid spill on her throat. She forced a smile at Lord Ingo who grinned, an eager light springing to his eyes. "Do you like it, Princess?"

"It's marvelous." Zelda replied promptly, knowing the slightest sign of hesitance would cause him to throw a fit.

Lord Ingo burst into cheers, hoisting his own glass with clumsy fingers. "I've been workin with some field agents in the farm I own in the Downworld. They sent me the grapes, I made the recipe. Delicious, isn't it?"

Zelda frowned. "You received the grapes from the Downworld?"

"I ordered it, yes. It's perfectly safe." Lord Ingo assured.

"Erm." Zelda nodded. "I do not doubt your words, then. Excuse me, please." She stood, feeling bile rise to her throat suddenly and swaying in her feet.

"Princess…?" Ingo called after her, uncertain. "Are you well?"

"Fine." She waved away his concerns, making a beeline for the door. She struggled to grasp the knob properly, her fingers slick with sweat and the back of her hand throbbing with an unnatural pain that pulsed back and forth through her entire body. She yanked the door open and stumbled into the hall, strangely disoriented.

Tripping over her feet, she limped to the bathroom, feeling unbearably sick as the arches seemed to loom and close around her. _She hated drinking._ Running _a _shaky hand through her hair, Zelda felt a numb sensation circle around her wrist and down her arm, the bile pushing against her throat once more, forcefully.

Eyes bulging, she halted and pressed her gloved palm against her mouth, squinting her eyes as her vision spun. She coughed, a foul breath slithering from her mouth as she panted, her temperature spiking. "Aghh…"

"Princess?" A flash of green danced before her eyes and the familiar voice soothed her panicked thoughts somewhat. _What was going on?_

"Ugh…" She fell to her knees, to prevent from collapsing on the floor, something which proved fatal before. "I…"

"Princess!" Hands grasped her shoulders firmly, arms circling her and drawing her to a hard chest.

"Ughh…" Bleary, she let her head loll back.

"Princess? Princess, please…" Intense azure eyes glittered anxiously above her, letting a smile spread sluggishly on her lips as darkness clothed around her world like a foreboding storm. Her hand twitched as a new wave of pain crashed through the bones, branding something important on her very muscles, something that felt like it had been hers a very long time ago. A blessing. A gift. A curse.

Somewhere, in the back of her head, a lyrical voice cried in the harmonious, velvet tones of a distant goddess from the past.

_"Awaken, Wisdom Blessed, and rise…for the Dawn of the New Prophecy has begun…"_

* * *

Can you guess what's on the back of Zelda's hand? ;)

Oh, and who do you think Link is trying to bring back? Take a wild guess...Remember though, not anyone he's romantically involved with (for a fresh change). Love trinagle are okay, as long as the drama is suitably downplayed and not made into a big fiasco with lots of killing and tears.._*shivers*_

_:)_

_Review!_

**_::  
Check out Masks of Vanity, if you want. It's writing style is a bit dark and mysterious...like this. Only shorter. :P_**

**_:: _**

-HVM


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note -Please Read-

Sorry for not updating. Notice that this chapter is shorter than the others. Sheik and Impa will return in the one following this.

..

Words to Know:

**Aula- (Latin) Hall; usually refferring to the hallways of Sky City Palace...**

**Priscus-**** (Latin) Ancient**

**Regia-**** (Latin) Castle**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.**

* * *

**_-Progenies-_**

**The Descent**

* * *

**IX. The Awakening One**

**...**

**_Priscus Koholint_**

_Marin spun on her heels, the sand shifting under her light weight as she twirled in the ocean foams of the gentle lapping waves, laughing. Damien watched, transfixed on the way her eyes sparkled as the a beautiful smile lit up the contours of her face and the way her hair curled and stroked the gentle breezes that caressed her skin._

_Ganondorf behind him let out a muffled 'oof' as his lovestuck apprentice stopped suddenly, pausing just to take in all of her perfection._

_"Honestly Damien…" Ganondorf scoffed, eyes blazing red with anger as he took in the sight of Marin with obvious distaste. "I thought you had finer tastes."_

_Marin came to a stop in her routine, the smile falling from her face as she landed both of her feet in the hot sand that whipped the hem of her poorly made dress. She gathered the shawl she had dropped from dancing and wrapped it around her neck with a sigh. _

_Damien scurried behind a tree, tilting his head ever so slightly to peek inquisitively at her. Ganondorf grumbled, his red eyes bleary from alcohol. "I'm leaving. Are you coming?"_

_"Wait." Damien turned back to her, unable to see the flicker of impatience darkening the color of Ganondorf's eyes. "Wait…"_

_She had both of her hands into fists, pressed tightly against her lithe figure as she stared out into the everlasting ocean. Her eyes narrowed, almost drifting shut, as the setting sun played colors with her face, turning it to golden hue. Sadness dulled the sparkle of her irises._

_Damien frowned as Ganondorf let out a long-suffering sigh at the wistfulness in his eyes. "What," Damien whispered, "is making her so sad?"_

_"He is." Ganondorf spat on the ground, not bothering to clarify._

_"He?" Damien repeated, blinking. A man was making Marin, _his Marin_, sad? What man? "Who?"_

_Ganondorf let out a laugh. "Oh, why don't I let her say it? It'll be so much more fun watching _her_ destroy _your_ dreams."_

_…_

_"Hi, Marin."_

_She jumped slightly, tearing her eyes away from the ocean view to stare inquisitively up at Damien._

_"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the empty spot next to her. Marin nodded, looking back into horizon again, her eyes glazed in reminiscence._

_Damien frowned. He coughed abruptly into his fists to clear the air. "Um, what are you thinking of?"_

_"People." She answered vaguely, wrapping her arms around the legs she drew up against her chest. She rested her chin on the side of her elbow._

_"Oh," Damien smiled tersely, following her line of sight as hie heart hammered against his chest furiously. Ask her about him. Ask her about him…_

_He approached it carefully. "Do you believe in love at first sight, Marin?"_

_She looked slightly taken aback by the question, studying him curiously with her big beautiful eyes before turning away again to draw circles into the sand. "Yes." She whispered, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks._

_"Yes?"_

_"Yes." She nodded this time and he thought he saw a slight tremble in her chin. "Yes I do."_

_"Oh." Damien put on a curious face, rubbing his sharp chin thoughtfully. "Why's that?"_

_"…Because I've experienced it once." The words were like poison to his heart, sweet yet deadly too. He swallowed the remorse filling his throat. _

_"Really?" He choked out, hoping his voice was not as shaky as he thought. "Do you think you'll ever experience it again?"_

_"I hope not." Marin smiled her mysteriously sad smile again, eyes drifting back to the gently lapping waves of the ocean. "His eyes were blue, you know. The most __beautiful shade of blue I'd ever seen."_

_Damien couldn't tell what had happened after that. But before he knew it he was up and running, waving her a goodbye that she did not even bothered to spare a look at._

_His eyes were green._

_Plain, repulsive, unbearably not-blue-at-all green._

* * *

_-Downworld-_

**_..._**

**_Regia Hyrule_**

The ticking of the clock irritated him, mocked him, taunted him…

Damien snatched up a fallen bow amongst the scattered pile papers lying on his office floor, letting loose an arrow that struck against the glass covering of the expensive mahogany timekeeping machine and tipping it over to crash ungracefully against the cold ground.

"Din take it!" He cried, sweeping aside golden ornaments resting harmlessly on the mantle above his roaring fireplace. "It doesn't make any sense."

Ruto watched unflinchingly from the corner of the room, her wrists and ankles bound together.

He ignored her, focusing on the framed map hanging on the walls, gritting his teeth together. "It doesn't make any sense!"

Several other maps were posted and hammered beside it, maps from several different years in alternate timelines. All stretching back to the fateful 'Great Cataclysm'. "Where are they?" Damien let out an inhuman growl that ripped at his throat. "Where could they possibly be…?"

Ruto blinked, turning away, trying to avoid the fact that she too had been asking herself the same question for too many centuries.

* * *

**_'Priscus Sanctum'_**

**_-Temple of Time- _**

_500 years after the Great Cataclysm…_

_"Milady." The dead Zora lady-in-waiting, Coreselle, bows before her, much to Ruto's dismay. Perhaps hundreds of years ago she would have enjoyed the treatment, but after her people's death and her shameful cowardice and running away from them_ _at their time of need…it did not seem right._

_Her untimely demise was pension for the abandonment. It seemed fitting and fair enough._

_"Coreselle, what news do you bring?" The Zora princess asks, eager to know of what has happened to Zelda, the very person who worries her the most at the moment._

_The Zora looks up with an expression that startles Ruto. She is near tears. "It is The Royal Family, Majesty…"_

_Ruto sits up in her chair, eyes tight with anxiety. The Royal family she has been watching dutifully for many years, but lately her vision has been foggy, blank. As of they had just…disappeared. "What is it?"_

_"They've gone Majesty. Without a trace."_

_"Where?" Ruto urges on, her voice rising higher and her eyes wide with shock as if she couldn't believe she was still in the same world as she had been minutes ago, before word of this came to her, shattering the peace of the Sacred Sanctum of the Temple of Time. "Where are they, Coreselle!"_

_Coreselle casts her face down, murmuring. "I…No one knows, Majesty."_

_Ruto jumps from her chair, placing a hand over her heart. "I must have a word with the Goddesses…"_

_"But your Majesty!" Coreselle cries, lifting up a frail hand to stop the deceased queen in her tracks._

"What?" _Ruto nearly bites her head off, eyes blazing and wide._

_Coreselle's voice is as grave as her expression. "It is the very Goddesses you plan on telling that have sent them away."_

* * *

**_…_**

**_Aula_**

Link knew his way around the castle fairly well, something he was extremely proud of. He looked down at the trusty map he had sketched out earlier, lines crisscrossing to show different levels and chambers, all leading to passages weaving in and out, like a maddening labyrinth.

So as he was on his way to the library again, it could only be fate that he would have bumped into a near unconscious Zelda.

She had been hunched over on the floor, sporting a sickly pallor and grave expression. He heard her gasps for breath, her wheezing and groans of pain. And before he knew it, she had crumpled into his hands, shivering and somewhat delirious.

And then…the mark had appeared –the very same strange birthmark imprinted on the back of his left hand-, and he fell to the ground right beside her, his eyes snapping shut as his mind reeled in remembrance.

_Triforce._

**_..._**

"_We must contact Impa immediately!"_

"She is busy at the moment, Sire."

_"But…"_

"I can handle this. They are both coming of age, the timing was right."

_"Good goddesses, Rauru…when I saw them lying on the floor -hardly breathing I might add-, I thought they had died."_

"Far from it. They have just awoken."

_"Awoken?"_

"From the first stage of the descent. It is common for both of their health to drop drastically. Their bodies must adapt to the supernatural powers being instilled within them."

_"…So, does this mean my daughter will have to…"_

"Go to the Downworld? Don't look so grave, Majesty. I've lived there, and it's really rather lovely in the winter."

_"By Jove, Rauru! Are you actually jesting? While my daughter and the Hero are barely clinging to their lives?"_

"What? Too soon, you think?"

**_..._**

* * *

**_:  
_**_Check out Masks of Vanity, if you want. It's writing style is a bit dark and mysterious...like this. Only shorter. :P_

**_::_**

**_Aha! The Triforce has awakened! In both this story and Fatal Attraction! (Shameless ad, please forgive me...)_**

**_I love Rauru._**

**_:)_**

**_Reviews and feedbacks would be awesome. And PM me too, if you want._**

-HVM


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note -Please Read-

Inexcusable absence, I know. I've been working myself sick on how this chapter's gonna go. I hope you're not disappointed. :P

..

Words to Know:

**Castellum Subteranneus- Castle Underground(s)**

**Excitare fortis unum-**** Awaken, courageous one**

**Somnium Mind-**** Mind-dream**

**(You have no idea how much I owe to Google Translate)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.**

* * *

**_-Progenies-_**

**The Descent**

* * *

**X. The Process**

**...**

_**Somnium Mind**_

_"Princess…"_

_Something heavy rested on her eyelids, drowning her in a pool of deep slumber._

_"Princess." A warm hand touched her shoulders, shaking gently. "Wake up."_

_A stirring developed in her heart, strange, yet she could not find the courage to push it away. Half-heartedly, she turned, moving away from the touch. Another part of her—the part she was most familiar with—screamed for her to wake up and find out where they were._

_An uncertain cough, then a concerned tap on the collar. "You're late for the ceremony preparations."_

_She woke up at that, and for some strange reason panic settled in quick. Her eyes fluttered open in a snap and a murky vision floated above her. Peaceful blue skies framed lazily drifting white clouds. Yet there was a sepia accent lining the picture, as if she had been dropped into the past, reliving something from long ago._

_"Princess." Her eyes resifted their focus to the direction the disembodied voice, and she gasped._

**_'Link?'_**

_"Sir Link." Her mouth parted and spoke the words fluently, yet the action was unexpected, and she had not planned for it at all. It was almost…automatic, as if another had meant to say the words and had used her to convey the message._

**_'Where am I?' _**

_"I am sorry for disturbing you." He stood, the light of early dawn hitting the polished golden spaulders he wore and the glittering silver chainmail peeking out from his steel collar. Zelda gaped in her mind, her mouth remained shut however. He was taller than the Link she knew, and his voice was deeper and more commanding. His hair was still its usual shade of dirty blond and his eyes were still the ever intense blue hue with flecks of startling gold. He averted his eyes from her to the ground underneath the soles of his boots. "They had told me you were here, and I wanted to make sure you were aware that the preparations have to be finished by noon."_

_The stirring in her chest increased and she turned around to survey her surroundings. Her voice was thick with disbelief and slight amusement. "I fell asleep in the garden?"_

_"Aye, Princess." Link nodded seriously._

_Zelda sat up subconsciously, not bothering to fight the unpredictable moves of her body. "How embarrassing." The grass rustled as she lifted herself off the ground. Link offered her a hand, for once not covered with gauntlets._

_"Princess," He nodded._

_Blushing—Zelda was sure the blush would have been inevitable, be it by her will or by another—she took his hand. His grip was firm, yet loose enough to slip away from. She stood and just as quickly he retracted his hand, placing it against his side._

_"Shall I escort you to your room, Princess?" He asked with an inquisitive tilt of his head._

_"You may." She smiled gingerly._

**_'This castle looks strange…yet familiar.'_**

_The palace loomed above them, a moat built around the entrance to the courtyard and a white brick bridge stretching across for passengers to cross. The ebony gates were stretched out invitingly and guards stood before them, visors pulled down to cover their faces._

**_'The sky seems...very far away. Why is that?'_**

_Link offered his arm and she looped hers around his, feeling extraordinarily alive. Something which amused her since she had been in deep sleep a few minutes ago. Her mouth opened again, speaking words that she had not planned to say. "Are you attending the ceremony, Sir Link?"_

_He glanced at her, tearing his eyes away from the proud red banners of the palace. _

**_'That emblem looks so familiar, yet it is not the same as the one in Sky Palace.'_**

_He looked vaguely amused and a hesitant smile came to his lips, reminding her of Link once more. "I have to, Princess. I am your personal guard."_

_A rush of heat came to her cheeks again, unwillingly. "Of course."_

_"Lady Yuna," he said, ignoring the color her face sported, "has finished stitching your dress."_

_"How does it look like?"_

_His eyes fell down to her, a gentle light deriving from it's usual indifferent air. "It's beautiful."_

_Zelda felt her mouth go dry and he glanced away quickly, clearing his throat and clarifying. "Prince Dragmire will be delighted. It is…perfect for the ball."_

_"Oh," She nodded, her smile slightly rueful. "Of course."_

_The world before her faded and clicked off, darkness misting over her sight._

_…_

_Gleams of light sprinkled over her vision and the darkness was suddenly swept away, a new scenery painting itself before her._

_She stood underneath the swaying, lustrous chandeliers, hands clasped with that of a tall, burly man with red hair and glittering golden eyes. A feeling of nausea welled up inside of her, escalating to a point where her mind was basically foggy with dismay and she let out a meek cough._

_The man directed his gaze to her, grinning almost bashfully. His eyes were bright with hope and bliss. "You look stunning, Princess Zelda."_

_"Thank you," Zelda nodded, her eyes trailing behind his shoulder to catch a flash of tousled blond hair behind the sea of nobles, all of whom gathered around her with flattering smiles. Her heart fluttered in her chest, urging her to go look for him._

_'Oh, she looks so beautiful, doesn't she?' One man whispered to his friend._

_'Yeah. I really envy that Prince, you know. I'd give anything to court the Princess…'_

_'Oh, zip it. You're both completely blind, aren't you? She doesn't love him. You can see it in her eyes.' A woman's voice remarked knowingly._

_'What makes you say that, Malon?'_

_'Look at how her gaze wanders. She's looking for someone. Someone important to her.'_

_Immediately, Zelda stepped away from her partner as the music came to a stop, eyes falling to the ground to keep them from straying to the crowd again. She busied herself with a hasty bow and smiled tremulously up at him. "I am…sorry, Prince Dragmire, but I must go. I am looking for a friend of mine."_

_"Oh," The smile slipped from the man's face and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Her hands returned to her sides and he cleared his throat reluctantly. "If you wish…"_

_"Thank you," Zelda nodded, lifting the folds of her skirts and hurrying away._

_The ballroom floor spun underneath her, the walls crumbling away as the dancing couples faded, her mind returning to reality._

* * *

...

_**Castellum Subteranneus**_

"Zelda. Zelda, wake."

Her eyes fluttered, opened and shut. Through the haze of slumber, she could make out flickering candlelight and burning torches hung on dull walls. The aroma of roses and ash incensed the air and she nearly drifted back to sleep.

A pinprick of pain rammed into her chest and her eyes flew open again, wide and blazing. She glanced around, at the dark, damp walls, cemented floors, and the assemblage of four hooded figures looming over her form. Her nails sunk into the flesh of her palm and she quickly unfurled them, lids drooping almost suddenly "What…?"

"Stay still." A voice commanded, fierce and powerful. Her tone sent an unpleasant vibration to the Princesss' skin and she cocked her head to the side, feeling beads of sweat roll down the nape of her neck.

The room was stifling in its heat, and Zelda's own skin felt tight and clammy, like a costume a tad too small. She tried to sit up, but found that straps bound her body back tightly against a hard mattress. Panic rose within her and she trashed about, her limbs squirming and heart pounding. "What is this?"

"Zelda…" One of them lifted back their hood and she gasped.

"Rauru?"

The old man seemed to have aged a hundred more years, the lines that crossed his worn features were more emphasized and deep, showing hardened experiences of someone more that a mere scholar…

"Where…where am I, Rauru?" she heaved out, her chest feeling tight and constricted. "Please…where?"

"Relax, young one," Another hooded figure spoke, voice lyrical and soothing. A rush of calmness swept the room and Zelda hardened herself against it as the person soothed her. "You are in safe hands."

The Princess grunted and huffed, her eyes narrowing at the elderly scholar. "Why am I here?" Her pulse quickened as she scanned the room, desperate for a face she could trust. A face that loved her and would never do this to her. "Where is my father?"

"Your father is outside. He cannot interfere with the process." Rauru's voice was stern and he gripped her by the shoulders, forcing her back.

"Process?" Zelda repeated, bile rising to her throat suddenly. "What process?"

"This," The hooded figure on her right lifted her wrists to light and a rush of power surged through the princess' veins in hot waves. Zelda's eyes shifted, then widened, for on the back of her hand was…

She screamed, breaking free of the stranger's vice grip. "What was that?"

"It is your mark. Your birthright."

"You_ branded _on me?" Zelda demanded, glaring at the mark on her skin and feeling inexplicably sick. There were three triangles, two at the base and one stacked on top. The bottom left glowed garishly, blinding her for a moment and suffusing the gritty room in golden luster. _Insane._ Either she was insane for thinking skin marks could ever glow, or they were for thinking they could brand on a Princess and get away scot-free.

"We've finished with you," Rauru said in what she believed to be a calming manner. "We go to Link now."

"Link?" Her heart dropped to her stomach, heavy as lead, landing with a hollow sound.

They shuffled back graciously, allowing her a view. She reeled back in shock and her hands instinctively reached up to touch him, only to be restrained.

Link—the Outsider—was strapped to his own mattress, except it was chains that bore his wrists back. His eyes were shut, yet his body was constantly shifting, as if under an intense dream impossible to break away from.

"What are you doing to him?" Zelda asked, hoping her voice was much harsher than it sounded in her own ears. "I demand an answer!"

Rauru pursed his lips and she bared her teeth, eyes glittering with belligerence and tears. "Answer me, damn you!"

"Zelda please…" his voice was hushed and desperate, the three other cloaked figures glided closer to her in an almost threatening manner. "Be quiet, you'll wake him…"

"Good then," she snarled mockingly and turned back to Link, screaming at the top of her lungs, voice coming out sore and broken. "Link! Link, wake up! _Link!" _Her throat was dry and parched, begging for water. Zelda felt strangely assured that the hooded strangers wouldn't hurt her, so she knew she had to try. If she could wake Link, perhaps they could escape from…wherever they were.

Link murmured softly under his breath, head lolling back and forth as his features arranged to a look of confusion. _"…Zelda?" _There was movement underneath the lids of his eyes and the dusk that shadowed his figures fell, revealing a fresh scar that split down his right cheek, the skin around it an angry pink hue.

Zelda's jaw dropped and she glared at Rauru. "You hurt him? My father would never have allowed this!"

"She needs to be quiet," One of the cloaked people murmured commandingly to the scholar.

Nodding, Rauru splayed his fingers over Zelda and she gasped sharply as her mouth snapped shut, the muscles in her jaw freezing painfully. _"Mmff!"_

"Look." One of the other hooded people said to her, taking her chin and turning it to face the bound Link. "Look at what is happening to him. A gift is being bestowed." The stranger reached up, a hand popping out from their long mahogany sleeves and pulling back their hood. Zelda frowned.

It was a woman. A woman with long fine hair colored the most beautiful emerald shade and eyes as deep and wild as the Downworld forests her nursemaid once painted pictures of. Her skin was ivory white, glowing with a pearl-like luminescence as alien yet familiar as the moon.

A smile curved the woman's mouth as she strode to Link, seeming unaffected by his trashing and struggling. Her lips parted and silvery smoke wisped out from them, curling into the air as she spoke in the hushed, silken tones of a loving mother. The language was foreign to Zelda, untraceable and musical.

The princess watched, entranced, as the emerald woman tenderly stroked Link's ungloved hand, her fingers sparkling with something pure and almost…holy. Link's body went limp at her touch, like docile puppy. His expression softened, mouth opening to let out a peaceful exhale.

The woman continued to whisper to him, her brows slanting downward in utmost concentration. Her eyes blazed with power and her whispers became louder, up to a point where it reached Zelda's ears.

_"Excitare, fortis unum." _It was much like a litany, sacred and old. She repeated it with growing feverishness, and suddenly a ray of warm light burst from the back of Link's hand. A tidal wave of nostalgia hit Zelda—new yet not unwelcome—at the sight of it.

_"Excitare, fortis unum…" _Link's eyes flew open and the chains went loose, allowing his body to relax. He blinked, tufts of hair brushing his cheeks as he shook his head blearily.

_"Where…"_ He glanced up at the woman who had woken him and frowned, looking dazed and disoriented. The gold and blue mix of his eyes had darkened. "You look…familiar."

Immediately, she pulled her hood back, shadowing her features again. "They have both awakened."

"What? _They?"_ Link frowned, head snapping to his side then widening in horror. "Holy gods…Princess!"

"Our work is done," The two hooded figures beside Zelda intoned, their voices dark and stoic. Their mahogany cloaks swirled about and they looked impossibly enigmatic; their presence felt otherworldly and unjust for such a shoddy room. "It is time for us to take our leave, Sage."

"Where am I?" Link demanded hotly, his gaze shifting to Rauru and widening. "Rauru, why am I…?"

"Link, please." Rauru clasped his hands together in front of him. "I'll explain later, I must-"

"You'll explain now!"

"Link, calm down…"Rauru pleaded, the lines around his eyes crinkling anxiously. "Please."

"We will go," The three hooded figures declared again, walking as one to the festering shadows of an obscured corridor, the hem of their cloaks gliding over the grounds.

"No, wait!" Rauru cried, swerving around hastily and padding after them. He disappeared, charging inside the same passageway before letting out a grunt of defeat, storming back in, looking grave and unsure.

Link struggled, the loose chains rattling as he set his arms free. Rauru's eyes snapped to him, taking note of the cross expression Link wore.

"Link," the old man began, taking a few steps away and holding out his hands as a sign of peace. "Take a moment to compose yourself. I know you're confused…"

"And angry," Zelda added, trying to break free of her bonds in vain. "Don't forget angry."

Light flashed from Link's hand, as bright as before yet it came with a harsher intensity. In the brief show of illumination, the chains had broken apart, now lying on the ground in torn strands. Zelda didn't have the energy to be surprised, and neither did he.

The young man stepped forward, his eyes blazing as they locked firmly onto Rauru. There was a ferocity in his gaze, one that sent a current of unease through the old scholar. The torches flickered, their light suddenly growing dim and weak. The candles around the room were snuffed out, one by one. The temperature in the room dropped down several notches and Zelda arched her neck up, grateful to be rid of the heat.

"Link," she called to him.

In the sorry light, she saw his eyes glide over to her immobile form. "Princess." He apologized, walking to her side and working at the fetters binding her wrists and straps clinging around her torso. The light from his hands glowed as he broke the bands, then he looked despairingly at her arms. "Those are iron."

"I have the key," Rauru said, walking cautiously towards them as he sensed Link's gaze harden. "I'll set her free if you just…let me explain."

Link narrowed his eyes, seemingly unrelenting before he stepped back with a shrug of his shoulders. "I wanted to hear it, either way."

"First, you need to calm down," Rauru said, crossing his arms.

Link scowled, "You've been repeating yourself sick over that phrase. I'll calm down after I know what possessed you to kidnap us and—"

"I didn't kidnap you," Rauru defended in a weary tone, noticing Zelda's eyes narrow from the side. "And I'm asking you to calm down because there's no telling what will happen if you let your emotions explode."

"I take my sword and smash everything in this room?" Link suggested. "It's quite predictable of me, you know that, Ru."

"Your Triforce, Link." Rauru said, gesturing to the glowing mark imprinted on his hand. "Your Triforce is more than capable of doing me away. It's powers are immense and if you-"

_"Triforce?"_ Link said in a disbelieving tone, glancing at it as the glow bathed his face in honey-colored light. "You mean my birthmark?"

_"Birthmark?"_ Rauru repeated in wide eyes. "This whole time, you thought it was just a mere—_"_

_"Get me out." _Zelda commanded, her voice impatient and tight. "Explain later. Get me out now."

Rauru sighed, snapping his fingers as the chains fell away from her arms. Zelda stood up, rubbing her hands while sending him a scornful glare.

"The mark on your hands," he began, eager to shift their attention, clapping his own together as the candles flickered back to light, "are pieces of the ancient sacred relic, The Triforce. And it's origins lie thousands of years ago, spun in the olden tales told by the late Hylians about a boy without a fairy, a wise princess, and an evil king…"

* * *

**_To answer a few questions that may be raised: -No, Link does not have superhuman strength. If you can't tell its the Triforce. Yup._**

**_-I know I wrote, and I quote _**"...he fell to the ground right beside her, his eyes snapping shut as his mind reeled in remembrance. _Triforce." **in the last chapter. Let me clarify. Link's mind is basically-how do I put this-torn between past lives and the current one he is in. The older part of him recognizes the Triforceout of instinct, but he is not fully aware of it. GAH! Confusing, I know. Let's leave that alone. Marbe I'll change it if it bothers you guys...**_

_**{""}**_

**_I wasn't quite sure how to portray Zelda and Link in this scene. I have no knowledge in the 'waking-up-in-a-strange-place-surrounded-by-people-who-I-think-put-me-under-sedatives' department. I wanted that sense of panic and shock and anger in the mix...I hope you get that._**

Ahem. Anyways, in the next chapter, we go back in time to Rauru's story (OOT).

{""}

**_To the Pilot: good guesses on who Link is trying to bring back. Too bad I can't give anything away. (Trying to be mysterious)_**

**_To Gogrunt:_****_ Yeah, that scene does seem a bit shady. Link isn't superhuman, but he is skilled. I might fix it when I stop being so drop-dead lazy._**

**_To Ardikani: (about the Link-hating in the story)-_****_ Sorry. A change of scenery will fix that. As you've read in the previous chapter they're (very possibly) going to the Downworld._**

**_Thanks and infinite salutes to Toondoon, BrambleAkira101, The Pilot, Ardikani4, Beforethedawnbreaks, Azkam Shazam, Gogrunt, Dreamgirl 264, Exodus5, Professor-Vermo, and James Birdsong._**

**_Reviews would be awesome._**

**_-HVM _**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Here we catch snippets of the Hero of Time's journey. I tried not to make it too lengthy for your sake. Zelda and Link discuss matters with Rauru. Sheik...well, he's a little trooper. What can I say?

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda.**

* * *

**_-Progenies-_**

**The Descent**

* * *

**XI. The Legend**

**...**

...

**_Fabula Prima_**

**_-_The First Legend-**

_The voices were pleading and soft, a silent burst of wind in his clouded mind._

_They were calling him again. He stirred in his bed, restless and groaning. When he was still very young, he had entertained the thought that the voices were his companions. Friends. Up until they started pushing him, growing loud and forceful, urging him to run through the woods and escape the Kokiri Forest. That was when he knew he should not have listened at all._

_The voices had just wanted to gain his trust, and when they had it, they used him. They creeped into his mind, relentless and obtrusive, taking over his dreams and replacing them with terrible nightmares. Nightmares about a golden-eyed man with a wicked smile and a blood-stained blade._

_"Link…Link wake up…" The voices chorused, light and pleasant sounding._

_He pulled the sheets over his head, not wanting to be swayed._

_"Hyrule needs you, Hero…" The voices said again. "You must leave the Forest, Hero…"_

_"I'm not a Hero." Link bared his teeth, pressing his hands against his ears._

_"The Triforce beckons for you… Your fate calls you…"_

_"Let me sleep." He tried to shut them out._

_"You must save us all…before it is too late…"_

**...**

_When the great Deku Tree died, Link nearly lost faith. He had ventured head first into the guardian spirit's being, scared witless for the first time in his life, yet he pushed on through…just to save the one who had taken him in…who had given him a home…_

_…Only to find that he hadn't really saved the Deku Tree at all._

_The fairy he had been given—Navi, was her name—was inexorably cheerful, always trying to lift his dampened spirits._

_Saria had given him her ocarina as a farewell gift, and he left with tears in his eyes and the emerald stuffed in his pocket, stumbling through the woods like the lost child he was._

_'Nothing like a hero at all,' he mused bitterly._

**_..._**

_The guards laughed when he asked to be let in the castle._

_Disgruntled and furious, Navi suggested that they sneak in. Link, remembering the urgency in the Deku Tree's voice, agreed whole-heartedly._

_The guards, for all their shining armor and sharp words, were not at all smart. Link practically paraded his way throughout the courtyard and not one of them had caught him. He supposed the visors over their head did not do much to help their sight._

**_..._**

_The Princess of Hyrule was beautiful._

_He couldn't quite describe how fast and erratic his heartbeat became when she turned around to greet him, nor could he explain how the words on the tip of his tongue seemed to vanish when she smiled._

_Yet there was something unsettling about the way she talked, a certain tightness in her voice, knowing in her pretty features, and sadness in her eyes that made his insides squirm. That was when he leaned forward with a whisper. _

_"Do you hear them too?" he asked._

_"What?" the little princess asked, tilting her head to the side. _

_Link blushed, feeling foolish for what he was about to say. "Do you hear the voices too?"_

_The princess' eyes widened. "Voices? What do you mean, Link?"_

_"I…I hear them in my dreams sometimes. They give me nightmares about a golden-eyed man with dark skin and red hair. Do you hear them too?"_

_"I have those dreams. But I do not hear their voices. Perhaps," she smiled at him, "that is your gift. Since you're the Hero. Maybe the land speaks to you."_

_"The land?" Link repeated blankly._

_"Hyrule. Farore built life into the red lands Din forged, and it is that life that calls for the Hero in its time of need. The voices you hear have led you here, have they not?" the princess asked._

_He bit his lip, nodding. _

_Smiling benevolently, she took his hand and led him to a window, pointing to a man clad in black, bowing before the King's Throne. "That man…I believe he is the one we both have visions about."_

_"Who is he?" Link asked, watching her closely as her eyes glimmered with disgust._

_Her features hardened and she hissed under her breath with a hatred as pure and concentrated as acid. "Ganondorf."_

**_..._**

_Everything changed when he pulled the Sword from its stone pedestal._

_His heart raced, thrumming along his body in a rapid pace, bringing heat to his cheeks. A sigh of metal echoed in the air as he slowly lifted it, grubby hands closed tightly around the hilt and the floor beneath him seemed to tremble._

_Navi bobbed along by his shoulder encouragingly._

_A flash of silver and blue spun in the air, shooting up from the ground, circling him, time melting away into an endless myriad of light and sound, draping him like a heavy cloak, the faint musk of the forest heightening his senses for a heartbeat…then the world fell into darkness._

**_..._**

_"Hello?" His voice rang out, sounding ghostly and distant. The air thickened, then thinned, almost disconcerting to his consciousness. He couldn't tell if his eyes were open or shut, because all that lay out before him was darkness._

_Complete and utter darkness._

_"Hello?" He tried again._

_A crackle of noise erupted in the air, shattering the silence for a moment. Link recognized it. The sound of a leaf crunching, right below his feet._

_'I'm standing,' he thought to himself. 'That I know now. But am I awake or not…?'_

**Are you him?**

_He gasped, whirling around. "Who's there?" His voice sounded deeper for some reason._

**Are you the one I was waiting for?**

_The voice was thick and syrupy, sounding pleasant, yet it sent violent shivers through his spine._

**Do you think you are the One?**

_Link licked his lips, startled to find how dry they were. "Who are you?"_

**Do you think you know who you are?**

_He lunged blindly for the voice, the darkness around him warping and stretching over the horizon._

**Are you the Hero?**

_"What if I am?" he challenged at the unseen speaker. "What will you do then?"_

**Are you the Hero Hyrule needs?**

_A blow struck to his thigh. Link cried out, caught unaware._

**Are you the Hero for whom this world despairs?**

_Another strike, this time aimed to his chest. He staggered back, grunting. "Are you taunting me?"_

**Are you the Hero who will save them?**

_Hands—they felt like hands—pushed him down, pinning him to the ground, scratching at his skin, tearing flesh. Link twisted, blindly bringing his feet up and swinging his arms to fend the attacks away. Something wet and warm—blood—trickled down his temple, running in sticky rivulets down his neck. He shivered._

**Are you the Hero she dreams about?**

_"Who?" he croaked out, lying limp on his back. He didn't feel like a hero at all. Maybe the Deku Tree was mistaken._

_A slap to his cheek, sharp and stinging._

**Are you the Hero she calls for?**

_Her face flashed through, a starburst of light in a pool of darkness. She was smiling at him, her eyes so full of faith, trust, and….and something else…_

_"Zelda?" he managed, his heart jerking inside his chest. "Zelda…"_

**Are you the Hero she needs?**

_Link nodded, feeling weak yet not willing to break…for her sake. "She does need me."_

**Are you the Hero she believes in?**

_"Yes," Link sighed, his throat feeling parched and rough. He could scarcely hear his own voice now. "I must be."_

**Are you the Hero?**

_"Yes." A faint smile curled his lips. "Yes, I am."_

_His left hand burned, warmth seeping into his body and strengthening him, binding his soul to something divine and unbreakable. Her blue eyes peered down at him, shining, as the Triforce emblazoned itself on his hand, like a sun blotting out the dusk of night._

**Then awaken, Hero of Time.**

**...**

_ Seven years. That was all it took for Ganondorf to ravage Hyrule and wring it dry of its former glory._

_He felt sick with remorse as he looked up at the cloudless sky, at the smog covering the stars. The city was dead, empty of the usual vigor and liveliness it had exuded in the past._

_His first instinct pushed him to run to the Palace first, and what he saw nearly made him break down in tears. The castle they had met in, the castle he had learned her lullaby in…was gone. And in its place was an ugly pit of molten lava, bubbling underneath Ganondorf's lair._

_The final battle had ended._

_His body was scarred, blood seeping from fresh scars, and his face was covered in grime. Zelda decided that he looked every bit a hero, nonetheless._

_He turned to her, blue eyes wide and conveying an almost child-like hope that nearly made her cry. "Is it over?" his voice was earnest, soft with wonder. "Did I…save them?"_

_"Yes." She looked off, into the horizon where the sun had emerged from the torrent of black clouds, spilling tendrils of light over the land and bringing warmth to their hearts. "You've saved us all."_

_He smiled. "Good."_

_"And now…" she sighed heavily, voice shaking. "It's time for you to go back."_

_He nodded at her, his eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "I know."_

**_..._**

_She supposed pretending she hadn't remembered him would make the pain lessen._

_She was wrong._

_He ran to her, out of breath, cheeks flushed. His golden hair fell in fair hanks over his wide eyes, the boyish features of his face arranged to a look of hope. She turned to him and he stopped, right before a bed of daisies, staring right into her eyes, as if daring her to make the first move._

_She expected him to ask if she remembered. She expected him to protest when she lied and asked him for his name. She expected rage, or disappointment… She had expected many possibilities._

_But not this._

_"I'm leaving."_

_Her heart broke all over again, but she braved a little smile nonetheless. "I knew that."_

_…_

_…_

_…_

_**Castellum Subteranneus**_

The King paced anxiously before the shut doors, chewing his nails thoroughly before running them through his arm in irritation. How long had they been in there?

Rauru had been cryptic enough to send him into a complete, worried mess; not that he hadn't been crazy with an unbecoming mixture of apprehension and fear before the elderly Sage intoned with deep, boring eyes that betrayed no information of what 'procedure' they had been babbling about for weeks, "You are not to interfere, Majesty. The Three will be visiting and…"

"I know." The King nodded, a crease settling between his furrowed brows. "I…I will stay here and wait for them."

Now he was beginning to wish he hadn't said that. For the past several hours, he had been tortured with the horrific sounds emitting between the cracks of the door; all varying from tumultuous crashes, deep chanting voices, and various cries of Link and Zelda's names.

His mind, practically inching its way to the edge of sanity, had begun to conjure up plenty of heinous scenes. One particularly gruesome one had Link and Zelda, chained up to the dirty floors, as sharpened knives lay spread out along a nearby table for torture.

But the Holy Three wouldn't do that to his little girl. At least, he hoped so.

"For Farore's sake," he hissed, hand hovering over the door, fingers splayed over the knob, waiting. "Get a hold of yourself, man. They'll come out…"

Hesitantly, he pulled away with a haggard sigh. "But they sure are taking their sweet time about it."

**_..._**

"So…in the end, the Hero never quite got his happy ending, did he?"

Rauru smiled, though the effort nearly made tears well in his eyes again. Link sat before him, head cocked to the side and eyes filled with wonder at the legend he had spun before them. There was an innocence in this new Hero, an innocence his voice betrayed; so light yet heavy with confusion.

Still, he looked so much like the former Hero of Time. The acute resemblance was disorienting…and a bit saddening for the Sage. "I haven't received word from Impa yet. We can't make our next move without her-"

"What move?" Zelda dived in, looking startled at the sudden change of topic. "You tell us we've been gifted with…with…" she held up her hand, the tan outline of her mark a stark contrast to the milky white of her skin, "this…thing."

"Triforce," Link supplied helpfully.

"Yes, yes, but we aren't exactly in Hyrule now, are we? There is no Ganondorf—as I'm quite sure you mentioned he was dead. And Link isn't the Hero of Time."

"'Tis true," Link admitted in a lamenting tone. He knitted his fingers together, placing them under his chin, looking pensive.

"Are you sure there is no Hyrule anymore, Princess?" Rauru asked, not unkindly. The candles had lent an amber glow to his face, making him look timeless yet weary. She was struck by the poignant dullness his eyes reflected, how distant and unfamiliar he suddenly seemed to her.

"I've never heard of it," Zelda answered, a flush creeping up her neck. Link's eyes drilled into hers imploringly, and she felt unbearably ignorant when he smiled.

"The Downworld," he said. "The land that was once Hyrule."

She turned to him fiercely, snapping—feeling angry and defensive for no apparent reason. "That's not possible."

"It's very possible."

"How? The blessed land of the Goddesses…it cannot be. It's corrupted and ruined, the Sky City is a safe utopia in comparison."

"May I remind you, Princess, that you've never been there. And these so-called scholars of yours don't exactly have their facts straight." Link rested his elbows on his knees, flicking his collar lazily as the temperature in the room hitched.

"Well," Zelda scowled. She was losing fire, and by the smug look in his eyes, she knew he could tell her barriers of belief were crumbling down slowly. "Yes. But…"

"Hm," Link bit on his lower lip, as Rauru folded his hands together, looking grave. "So what exactly is it you want us to do, then?"

"I…" The Sage looked down, somewhat embarrassed. "I'm not quite sure of it myself. I can't lay out your destiny, but I can guide you towards it. Learning one's prophecy beforehand is never a good thing."

"And why not?" Link asked.

"Because I find that people try to change it towards their liking. And that never works."

**...**

**-The Downworld-**

_**Brookel**_

Sheik had never—yes, not _once_ in his life—had a drink.

Now, Impa would have found this very much acceptable. She knew men were absolute pigs whenever the alcohol took control, and they dishonored themselves so carelessly when intoxicated. But once Sheik had heard of this famed 'freedom juice' some men had told him about in the passing towns, his interest was undoubtedly piqued, and the first thing he had done once they set foot in Brookel was to rush right over to The Twin Fletcher's Pub.

Madame Fletcher herself sat on a counter, in all her finery and flair. A barmaid—Impa recognized her as the one who had talked to Link when they first met—busied herself by polishing the glass and glaring stonily at the leering men who sat in their seats, hunched over drunkenly.

Madame Fletcher was a tall and imposing beauty with her red-gold hair, voluminous lashes, and full figure. Once she caught sight of Sheik, she grinned, wickedly, and hopped off.

Sheik, however, was too busy studying the place; with its cheap, wooden tables, overturned chairs, stained windows, and he grimaced. Impa, clad in new armor that she had purchased, made an imposing sight against the rabble of drunkards, and Madame Fletcher slowed her walk purposely, smile fading.

"Hello," her voice was thick and throaty.

Sheik spared her a glance. "Do you have any freedom juice here?" his own voice was dry and crackled from lack of water. Impa felt a sting of guilt for neglecting him.

"Heh," Madame Fletcher smirked. "Is that what men are calling it nowadays?"

"I don't know," Sheik blinked at her, unfazed at the batting lashes she sent his way.

"Come then," Fletcher gestured them over to the counter. "Both of you. This round's on the house."

The barmaid seemed to be more fidgety than Impa had last seen, and she refused to make any eye contact at all as she deftly poured them a cup of drinks. Sheik watched as rum spilled down the glass in what could be described as morbid fascination. As soon as it was filled, he took a whiff and furrowed his brows.

"This is freedom juice?" he asked the barmaid pointedly.

She pursed her lips, briefly lifting her eyes then turning away. "It's rum. But call it what you will."

Fletcher bustled over to the barmaid, tapping her shoulder with a long, red nail. The girl slowly flicked her head towards Impa, who rose a brow.

"So," Fletcher shot her an easy smile, one she did not return. "You are a friend of Link?"

Sheik paused, the rim of the glass barely touching his lips. He glanced at Impa. The Sage smirked, pushing back the drink before her. "If you're using the term in the loosest way possible, then yes."

"Hm," Fletcher gave Impa's armor a careful look then grinned, crossing her arms at the Sage's stony expression. "I can tell. He has a habit of worming in to the good graces of the important."

Impa cleared her throat and surreptitiously glared around at the bar, satisfied to find that most of the customers had finally passed out. She turned back to Madame Fletcher. "Are you a part of the Resistance?"

"Oh." The voluptuous woman waved her hands in the air, the bracelets on her wrist jangling. "I don't pick sides. Bad for business."

"I see," Impa kept her face blank, though the hardness of her eyes suggested that she disapproved at the answer.

"But I stand by Link," Madame Fletcher said. "Owe that boy a lot, I do. And if he's your friends, then what kind of person would I be if I didn't offer you shelter for the night?"

Sheik downed the rum hungrily then, coughing as the contents poured down his throat. His nose scrunched and he turned imploringly to Impa with flushed cheeks. "Well, Impa?"

"I'd rather not delay our trip, Sheik." Her eyes sparked with fire, and immediately, he knew he had lost the fight.

"But I insist…" Madame Fletcher was relentless, her voice soft and persuasive. "Besides, night is falling. The Stalfos might get to you." She studied her nails in an arrogant manner. "Whatever destination you've in mind, I can take you there. The carriage is out back, but the driver won't be back 'till morn."

"Then we can get there a lot faster," Sheik finished, casting Impa a look. She stared back, at the blood staining his navy suit, the grime and soot caking his face, at the grit underneath his nails…

She nodded in consent.

The tired smile on the Sheikah boy's face warmed her heart, and she knew exactly why.

* * *

I'm too tired to write anything else. But Sheik and Impa are on their way to the 'Forsaken Village' and the so-called prophecy is taking course. And there's that little side-plot in which Link has yet to reveal why he wants a map of the Underworld. :)

**Reviews are gladly appreciated. :)**


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